Tommy Paul’s Coach Reveals Why “Everyone’s Chasing” Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

For the last two years, the ATP landscape has witnessed just two men playing on the court, outshining the rest. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The world No.1 and No.2 have dominated the racket sport in a way like no other. The Spaniard and the Italian have shared eight consecutive Grand Slams between them so far – winning four each. That is no joke considering their age, 22 and 24 years old, respectively. Ever since their blockbuster face-off in Paris – where they displayed masterclass that lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes – the SinCaraz effect has been all over the place. Almost every tournament now feels like a ritual with an inevitable scenario of these two in the final.

Even some of the notable tennis figures now don’t hesitate in accepting that Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner are simply a level above. Take, for example, American ATP star Tommy Paul’s coach Brad Stine. During an episode of The Insider-In Podcast, dated September 22, Stine explained what really makes Alcaraz and Sinner stand out compared to the rest on the tour. He began saying, “they have become the big two. They’ve really separated themselves from everybody else. Everyone’s chasing those guys. They’re producing a type of tennis that’s obviously been extremely difficult for everybody else to compete against. It’s fun from the standpoint that they’re a little bit different.”

Initially breaking down their individual style of play, he added, “Carlos is much flater, much more of a shot maker, comes forward a lot more than Jannik does. Jannik is a little bit more of a machine, just flip the switch and you pretty much know what you’re going to get with Jannik, but how he produces it and what he creates out of it, is still absolutely amazing and exciting to watch.”

Stine underlined that the “mentality” of Alcaraz and Sinner also plays a key role in distinguishing them from the competition. “It’s obviously producing the kind of tennis that beats virtually everybody else on a very, very, very consistent basis. Then when they play each other, they’re doing what those other guys did. They’re pushing themselves to a different level.”

That is true indeed. Even both Alcaraz and Sinner have admitted previously how far they push each other. Goal? To become the best versions of themselves on the court. So what do they really feel about one another?

When Jannik Sinner made an honest Carlos Alcaraz confession

Last year, Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the China Open summit clash. Despite the loss, the Italian had nothing but laurels for his archrival. Showing an admiration for the Spaniard, Sinner revealed he tries to learn a lot from him to get better.

“I wake up in the morning trying to understand how to beat Alcaraz. I feel like—at least talking from my side—he pushes me to do better. I wake up in the morning trying to understand what I can do better trying to beat him next time, which is something nice for me as a player,” the four-time slam champion revealed. Furthermore, he also underlined the fact that despite being on-court rivals, they share a great bond. “It’s nice that we are rivals on the court and then friends off the court.”

The Italian broke down their rivalry, saying, “He (Alcaraz) is the one who brings the firepower. It also shows that everyone is different. I believe that I have to take something from him as a player, trying some different shots sometimes, which I feel like makes me grow as a player.” 

But guess what? Even his Spanish counterpart has similar opinions. After besting Sinner in the US Open final, earlier this month, and also reclaiming the No.1 spot, Alcaraz made a confession. “I give 100% every day to improve, sitting down with the team to see what I can do better to beat Jannik and win these kind of trophies,” he said, as reported by BBC on September 7. “Having this rivalry means a lot – it is super special for me, for him and for the people who enjoy every it single time we play.”

After three slam finals between them this season alone, avid fans will look forward to witnessing more of their on-court rivalry and off-court camaraderie. But the key question that pops up now is: who will be the one to disrupt their dominant run? Only time will tell.