Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev slammed for ‘disastrous’ form during Jannik Sinner’s absence

Ewan West 30 Apr 2025 2:25 PM

Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz

Italian tennis commentator Paolo Bertolucci has criticised Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev for their performances during Jannik Sinner’s absence from the tour.

Sinner has not played since winning his second successive Australian Open title in January due to a three-month doping ban that started on February 9 and runs until May 4.

This gave both Zverev and Alcaraz the opportunity to take the world No 1 ranking from Sinner before the Italian’s return, but the duo were unable to capitalise.

Zverev, the world No 2, struggled badly after losing to Sinner in the Australian Open final as he posted a 6-6 record across Buenos Aires, Rio, Acapulco, Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo.

The German claimed his only title of the season to date in Munich, but his hopes of reaching top spot were over by that stage.

Third-ranked Alcaraz has won tournaments in Rotterdam and Monte Carlo this year, while he was a finalist in Barcelona, but he did not get the results he required to chase down Sinner in Doha, Indian Wells or Miami.

Sinner remains 1,645 points clear of Zverev and 1,880 ahead of Alcaraz in the Live ATP Rankings.

The three-time Grand Slam winner is set to make his comeback on home soil at the Italian Open, which will begin on May 7.

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In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Bertolucci was unsparing in his assessment of Sinner’s main rivals in 2025.

“What was expected was that they (Zverev and Alcaraz) would be able to get very close to him (Sinner) in the rankings and maybe even overtake him, but instead they have caused disasters. So Sinner can sleep soundly,” said Bertolucci (translated from Italian).

“Zverev made a mistake in his planning, going to play in South America and from there he got confused, losing points of reference.

“Alcaraz says he was under pressure, but even if we take this statement as true, the fact is that he lacks continuity and we had already seen it last year.”

The former world No 12 also suggested it may not take Sinner long to find his best level when he returns to action.

“A normal player needs at least two tournaments, but Sinner is capable of surprising us, as he has already shown us,” Bertolucci added.

“As for his ‘debut’ in Rome, we need to see the draw and how he will be able to handle both the pressure of playing at home and that of his return.

“There are many variables, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds his best condition more quickly than expected.”