Jannik Sinner claims a big award as his big rival Carlos Alcaraz is snubbed again
Jannik Sinner is not always viewed as the most popular player on the ATP Tour, but the Italian has banished any suggestion that he lacks popular support by claiming the ATP Fans’ Favourite award for a third successive year.
Sinner’s ruthless and machine-like winning approach is not as instantly appealing as the smiling brilliance of his big rival Carlos Alcaraz, who is widely hailed as the most popular player in tennis.
Yet even after a year when Sinner missed three months due to a doping suspension that will always leave a negative mark on his record, the world No 2 has claimed the popularity award once again.
“Thank you so much for voting for me,” said Sinner. “Winning the Fans’ Favourite award once again means the world to me, especially because of you guys.
“It has been a very intense year, but you give me so much energy and love, especially when I go on court and perform in front of you.
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“It’s the best feeling for us tennis players, so thank you so much. I will prepare myself in the best possible way to be ready for next year, and see you all very, very soon.”
Alcaraz’s fans will doubtless have been voting in their thousands for their man to win this award, but it is Sinner who claimed a prize that always proved to be elusive for Novak Djokovic.
Roger Federer dominated the ATP Fans’ Favourite Award during his time at the top of the sport, winning it for 19 successive years between 2003 and 2019.
His big rival Rafael Nadal then claimed the prize in 2022 before Sinner won it for the first time in 2023.
Sinner and Alcaraz’s rivalry dominated the ATP Tour landscape for a second successive year as the ‘Big 2’ dominated the biggest events, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski telling Tennis365 why these two have separated themselves from the chasing pack.
“Alacarz exploded out and starting winning right away, just like Rafael Nadal did,” said Rusedski ahead of the launch of his new podcast Off Court with Greg. “He has been amazing for the sport and to already have six Grand Slam titles is an incredible number.
“Then you look at Sinner and the way he has used his skills as a skier to move around the court so effortlessly. I’ve never seen a player move like that before.
“You speak to other players and they say they just strike the ball so hard on both sides. Alex de Minaur said they strike it even harder than Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
“The Roland Garros final they played this year was one of the best matches we have ever seen, including anything we saw from the Federer, Nadal and Djokovic match-ups.
“That tells you we are looking at two players here who are playing at another level, but whether they ever win as many titles as the ‘Big 3’, that’s a very different debate.
“You have to respect the longevity and the achievements of Roger, Rafa and Novak. Their records will be very tough to beat.”
