Who can challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner? Five names identified by leading voice
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have developed a powerful stranglehold on men’s tennis over the last couple of years, with the two young champions sharing the last eight Grand Slam titles between them.
Their dominance has been further highlighted by their thrilling matches in the finals of the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open this year, with challengers to the ‘Big 2’ seemingly unable to match them when it matters most.
Now leading coach Patrick Mouratoglou has identified the players he believes can challenge Alcaraz and Sinner moving forward, with one big server right at the top of his list.
Ben Shelton was forced to pull out of the US Open due to injury and that same story played out for another of Mouratoglou’s picks, with Britain’s Jack Draper on the sidelines due to his arm problem.
In a post on LinkedIn, the former coach of Serena Williams, Holger Rune and Naomi Osaka outlined the key contenders to Alcaraz and Sinner and he started with Shelton.
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“For me, the biggest breakthrough of this summer has been the emergence of Ben Shelton at the very top level,” declared Mouratoglou.
“He’s exciting to watch, he fills up stadiums, and when he plays, things happen.
“His serve and forehand are unbelievable, and being left-handed gives him another advantage. He already has two key pieces of the full package, but he needs to improve his movement and make his backhand a true weapon. If he does, he can really compete with Carlos and Jannik.”
When he turned his thoughts to Draper, he admitted his ongoing fitness issues were a concern for the British No 1.
“Jack made great progress, winning Indian Wells and reaching the final in Madrid. His backhand is no longer a weakness, and he’s very driven,” said Mourtoglou.
“But his issue is his body. He keeps getting injured, which stops him from building momentum. If he can stay healthy, he has the qualities to be a rival.”
The final three players in his list are Felix Auger-Aliassime, Joao Fonseca and his former charge Holger Rune and he started his summation with the Canadian.
“It was great to see him back on track at the US Open,” he said of Auger-Aliassime, who reached the semi-finals in New York.
“His serve, forehand, and movement are fantastic. He also improved his backhand, but it still needs to become a real strength.
“In today’s tennis, you can’t afford a weakness. If Felix develops that backhand further, he can be top 5 and compete at the very highest level.
“With Fonseca, so many people are talking about him as the next big thing. He’s got huge potential, with no real weaknesses in his game. Both groundstrokes are very strong, he serves well, he moves well, and most importantly, he really wants it.
“But we have to be patient. He’s still young, still learning, and he needs to climb the rankings step by step before becoming a real threat.
“Then with Holger, I know him well. He has what it takes: huge forehand, huge backhand, great serve, unbelievable movement, and a big desire to succeed.
“But right now, he lacks stability and consistency. His emotions sometimes take over, and that can cost him matches. If he solves that, he’s right up there.”
Tennis may need new challengers to Alcaraz and Sinner to keep the game interesting heading into 2026, but can any of Mouratoglou’s picks reach the standards they will need to match the undisputed champions of the men’s game?
