Tim Henman reveals why one player can ‘close the gap’ to Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner
Former world No 4 Tim Henman has named the player who he thinks is “most likely to close the gap” to the dominant duo of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz is top of the ATP Rankings on 11,340 points, while Sinner is second with 10,000 points, and there is a large gulf between the pair and the chasing pack.
World No 3 Alexander Zverev has 5,930 points, ahead of fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz on 4,645 points and fifth-placed Novak Djokovic on 4,580 points.
Since the start of 2024, Alcaraz and Sinner have each secured four of the last eight Grand Slam titles. Djokovic was the last man besides Alcaraz and Sinner to win a major, having triumphed at the 2023 US Open.
Speaking on Netflix for the Six Kings Slam, Henman identified Fritz as the closest challenger to the top two.
“He (Fritz) works with Paul Annacone and Mike Russell. Paul Annacone was an old coach of mine,” said the Brit, who reached six Grand Slam semi-finals.
“I think it’s just about trying to bring that extra string to his bow. He’s so efficient on serve and at the back of the court, both forehand and backhand, but [he needs to] try to finish a few points at the net when he’s so aggressive from those ground strokes.
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“He’s brought in the drop shot a little bit, which I think, again, is good to get the opponents moving forward to backwards, not just side to side.
“So I think he’s one of these players who’s always looking to improve. That has been reflected in his results, and I think he’s the one who’s most likely to close the gap between the top two.”
In an interview with Tennis365, Henman spoke about his admiration for six-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz.
“I spent some time with him at the Laver Cup and I could not have been more impressed with him not only as a player but as a person,” Henman said.
“His attitude, his energy, his values on and off the court were absolutely first class. He has really up his level.
“You look at the way Alcaraz’s game has developed and it’s absolutely phenomenal.”
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