Leading coach reveals the decisive factor in Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner’s rivalry
Leading coach Patrick Mouratoglou has identified an area of the game that he feels played a crucial role in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry this season.
Alcaraz holds a 10-6 head-to-head record against Sinner, having won four of their six encounters in 2025 — all of which came in finals, including the last three Grand Slam finals.
The Spaniard overcame Sinner in straight sets in the Italian Open final, in an epic five-set French Open championship match, and in a four-set US Open final, while he also prevailed when the Italian was forced to retire in the Cincinnati Masters final.
Sinner downed Alcaraz in four sets in the Wimbledon final and also earned a straight-set win in the title match at the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s 2025 matches
- Italian Open final – Alcaraz def. Sinner 7-6(5), 6-1
- French Open final – Alcaraz def. Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2)
- Wimbledon final – Sinner def. Alcaraz 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
- Cincinnati final – Alcaraz def. Sinner 5-0 *Retired
- US Open final – Alcaraz def. Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
- ATP Finals final – Sinner def. Alcaraz 7-6(4), 7-5
What did Patrick Mouratoglou say about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry
In a post on LinkedIn, Mouratoglou looked back on Alcaraz and Sinner’s rivalry in 2025 and highlighted the decisive role the serve played in their most recent clashes.
“A rivalry built on four major finals in 2025: Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the US Open and now the Nitto Finals. Two wins each. Four huge stages. But four very different matches,” said the Frenchman.
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“Except for the Roland Garros final, which was incredibly close, the other three were more one-sided. At Wimbledon, Sinner was clearly better. At the US Open, Carlos was clearly better. At the Nitto Finals, Sinner was again clearly better. The question is: why?
“The serve decided everything. What stood out this week in Turin is simple: Sinner served at a completely different level, the best of the entire tournament. And not only the serve itself, but the serve +1, the third shot, and the ability to take control immediately.
“At the US Open, Carlos’ serve made the difference. After that final, if you had asked me who had the best serve, I said: Alcaraz. Today, after Turin? There is no debate: Sinner has the best serve right now.
“And then comes the mindset. There is one moment that explains everything. Set point against him in the first set. Second serve. Jannik hits 187 km/h in the corner, pure risk.
“After the match, he said: ‘I had three options. I chose the riskiest. If I had to lose the set, I had to lose it on my terms.’ This is elite mentality. The mentality you need to win these finals. And it’s exactly what he learned after the US Open.”
Mouratoglou has coached Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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