Jannik Sinner’s Coach Darren Cahill Says Carlos Alcaraz Does Something That Even Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer Never Did

While the whole tennis world is focused on the Roland Garros, two-time defending champion, unfortunately, is forced to stay on the sidelines as he is nursing a wrist injury he suffered during the Barcelona Open. Darren Cahill, the coach of his arch-rival Jannik Sinner, wants the Spaniard back because he brings some kind of joy whenever he plays.

After his injury, Alcaraz didn’t play in Madrid for the second consecutive time. He then didn’t enter Foro Italico for his Italian Open title defense. Alcaraz is not only skipping the French Open but the entire grass swing as well, where at Wimbledon, he made the finals in the previous three seasons, losing only last year to Sinner.

We miss Carlos. We want him back. The game needs him back. He brings a joy and happiness and a smile and a creativity that I don’t think even Roger [Federer], Rafa [Nadal], Novak [Djokovic], Andy [Murray], any of those former legends brought to the game. So, tennis needs him back playing. We all miss him. We hope he’s recovering as quickly as possible.

Darren Cahill said on the Big T podcast on Tennis Channel

Cahill cited the Big 4 and said that both Sinner and Alcaraz, when they were newcomers, knew that they would in the future forge a fierce rivalry.

And it’s a little bit like the story you told me when you started coaching Andy Murray, is that even when we already had Roger and Rafa at the top of the game, but as Andy was coming through, his eyes were completely focused on Novak. He knew that Novak was the guy that was going to dominate.

Darren Cahill added

Sinner trails 7-10 in the head-to-head matchups versus the seven-time Major champion, winning their previous two meetings. They last met in the final of this year’s Monte-Carlo Masters, which the Italian won, stopping Alcaraz from defending his title. This also saw the Spaniard lose his No.1 ranking to Sinner.

It’s a little bit the same, three or four years ago when we started with Jannik. He knew that Carlos was going to be the guy. And if you look to the quotes three or four years ago, Carlos knew Jannik was going to be his main rival. So these guys were able to see it pretty early.

Darren Cahill added

Mi recuperación va por buen camino y me siento mucho mejor, pero desgraciadamente aún no estoy listo para poder jugar y por eso tengo que renunciar a la gira de hierba en Queen’s y Wimbledon. Son dos torneos realmente especiales para mí y los echaré mucho de menos. Seguimos… pic.twitter.com/6IL0APkv5G

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) May 19, 2026

Jannik Sinner is set to play Clement Tabur in the first round

Carlos Alcaraz has already completed the Career Grand Slam. In this year’s Australian Open, the World No.2 came from a set down to upset Novak Djokovic, who in the semifinal shocked the tennis world with a five-set win over two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner.

But now the Major is on clay, and the Serb has lifted the title three times, losing four more finals, one to Stan Wawrinka and the remaining to 14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal. Many think clay is not the surface where the 39-year-old can end his Major title drought.

And this is why, even though Sinner lost to Djokovic in the Melbourne Slam, he will be the heavy favorite to complete the Career Grand Slam in the absence of Alcaraz. The win will make him the seventh man in the Open Era to reach this milestone. The youngest one to do it was Alcaraz (22).

Sinner will kick off his campaign against home favorite Clement Tabur. They will be facing each other for the first time. In last year’s French Open, the 24-year-old squandered a two-set lead and three match points to lose the final to Alcaraz. Sinner is on a 29-match winning streak as he lifted the first five Masters 1000s of the season, becoming the first man in history to do so.

Also read: Stan Wawrinka Shares a Heartfelt Quote After Bidding Emotional Farewell to Roland Garros: “It’s Never Easy to Say Goodbye”