John McEnroe reveals coaching advice he would give Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
John McEnroe has praised Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s emotional and technical excellence as he admitted he is not too sure how he would elevate their game further should he coach either of them.
Many feared the interest in tennis would take a battering once the Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer retired, but the merchants of doom have been proven wrong with Alcaraz and Sinner keeping fans entertained.
They have shared the last eight Grand Slams and have dominated the top two spots in the rankings with the chasing pack, featuring the likes of Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Jack Draper unable to consistently keep up with them.
In an interview with Spain’s El Pais, tennis great McEnroe heaped praise on the duo, saying: “Honestly, I think both Sinner and Alcaraz have evolved very quickly in all aspects of the game.
“We see how in major tournaments they are able to apply important technical variations in their style, and that directly affects the results.
“Both maintain their essence and their brave spirit, but they also know how to adapt mentally and technically to situations, competing in a very intelligent way.
“They represent today’s tennis: a new generation that combines emotion and technical excellence. In my era, all of this was unthinkable… We are very fortunate to enjoy both.”
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Alcaraz is already a six-time Grand Slam winner and he could be a seven-time champion by the end of Sunday as he will face Djokovic in the 2026 Australian Open final while Sinner has won four Slams.
So who would Eurosport pundit McEnroe choose as the better player?
“I cannot choose. I think when they are at their best, both are almost unstoppable for anyone,” the American said. “It’s like comparing the best versions of Pete Sampras, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andre Agassi… or even myself.
“All I can do is enjoy and get excited when I watch them compete, especially in big tournaments like this.”
With both already at the top despite still being in their early 20s [Alcaraz is 22 and Sinner is 24], what coaching advice would the six-time Grand Slam winner give to the pair? And who would he want to coach?
“I have great respect for both. Darren Cahill [Sinner’s coach] and his team have done a fantastic job, and both are surrounded by very solid coaching teams,” the 66-year-old McEnroe said.
“Anyone who has listened to me comment on matches knows that Carlos is probably my favourite player; what he is capable of on a tennis court is insane, and he isn’t even a particularly tall player; maybe half a centimetre taller than me.
“Honestly, I would enjoy it with either of them; the only thing I would do is give them a pat on the back and wish them luck before they step on court. I don’t know to what extent I would really have anything to say to them.”
