‘When Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are at their best, no one can get close’, claims former ATP star
Former world No 21 John Lloyd has argued “no one can get close” to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner when the duo are performing at the peak of their powers.
The 1977 Australian Open runner-up proclaimed that other players are “going to have to really step up” to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner — or the pair will “run away with it.”
As the two leading young stars in the men’s game, Alcaraz and Sinner are expected to form the next great tennis rivalry and they have already contested some intriguing matches. Between them, the pair have secured the three ‘big titles’ on offer so far in the 2024 season.
Alcaraz ended his eight-month wait for a title by securing the Indian Wells Open crown in March. Prior to winning the Masters 1000 event, the 20-year-old Spaniard’s only final appearance since his triumph at Wimbledon in July last year had come in Cincinnati in August.
Sinner won his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and secured his second ATP Masters 1000 crown at the Miami Open last month. The 22-year-old Italian’s latest triumph — his third title of the year — has seen him overtake Alcaraz to reach a career-high ranking of world No 2.
The duo have faced off eight times, with the head-to-head split at 4-4 after Alcaraz won their most recent encounter in three sets in the semi-finals in Indian Wells last month. Sinner is in action at this week’s Monte Carlo Masters, while Alcaraz withdrew due to a arm injury.
Speaking on an episode of the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast, Lloyd asserted that other ATP players need to improve if they are to stop Alcaraz and Sinner from dominating.
“These two guys, I tell you, the other guys are going to have to really step up. Because they’re gonna run away with it,” said the former British No 1.
“We always say that, ‘He’s on the big come-up,’ but I tell you, when those two are playing at their best, no one can get close, I don’t think.
“But I was impressed with the way he rebounded, Alcaraz. It suddenly looked like in the off-season that Sinner had made this improvement, which he has.
“His management of the court is a lot better now, he’s worked on his serve. You’re looking at it and you think, ‘Okay, well he’s kinda jumped ahead a little bit of Alcaraz.’
“And then you watch it at Indian Wells, and he was getting blown off the court there. This is to me a great thing for the future of Carlos Alcaraz, the way that he changed his game around there.
“At that stage Sinner looked unbeatable, he looked like it was going to be quick, but there, he (Alcaraz) used his tennis sense on the court, got a little bit of help from his coach, but he still had to execute the game plan.
“He changed it around and Jannik Sinner really lost the clock there. Didn’t know what to do. So for me, this was a big step through for Alcaraz.”
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