Chris Evert Claims Carlos Alcaraz’s Absence Has Benefited Jannik Sinner: “When Monica Seles Was Stabbed, Steffi Graf Took Power”

Carlos Alcaraz is nursing a wrist injury sustained while competing at the Barcelona Open. The Spaniard, after lifting his career’s first Australian Open and Qatar Open titles, lost to Jannik Sinner in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters, which saw him lose his No.1 ranking to the Italian ace.

Next, Alcaraz played in Barcelona and injured his wrist and has been sidelined since then. He missed the Madrid Open, Italian Open, and the French Open. And now, he will also be skipping Wimbledon, which is set to start on June 29.

Before the clay swing, Alcaraz also participated in the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open, losing both events before reaching the final. Sinner completed the Sunshine Double and, after his Monte Carlo win, took home the Madrid Open and the Italian Open.

His win in Rome made him the second man after Novak Djokovic to achieve the Career Golden Masters milestone. Chris Evert thinks Alcaraz’s absence has benefited Sinner, comparing it with the Monica Seles–Steffi Graf rivalry.

Monica was the world number one in 1993 when she was stabbed: from then on, during her absence, Steffi took the power. A similar phenomenon has occurred with Jannik: he dominated without his main rival, the injured and unavailable Alcaraz. Until Roland Garros, he was untouchable, and I hope he will be the same on the grass of Wimbledon. In the five consecutive Masters 1000 he won, I saw his opponents intimidated, unable to challenge him.

Chris Evert said (H/T: Tennis World Italia)

At the French Open, Sinner crashed out in the second round. He suffered from cramps and ended up losing the match in five sets even though he was just one game away from the win.

Sinner’s worst enemy is himself: he must stay healthy and avoid performance dips. If he manages it, I believe that in ten years we will be talking about a truly extraordinary career. The problem for everyone else, when facing Jannik, is having to outdo themselves. Personally, I will never underestimate Novak.

Chris Evert added

Djokovic defeated Sinner in the semifinal of this year’s Australian Open. But lost the final to Alcaraz.

Jannik Sinner will play at Wimbledon as the defending champion

Jannik Sinner was last seen in action at the French Open. He chose not to compete in any warm-up tournaments on grass this year to get enough rest after a gruelling clay swing. He will be entering Wimbledon as the defending champion. The four-time Grand Slam champion went past Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final last year.

I always say we don’t defend, we always try to go for it, and hopefully we can do that. I know it’s a long tournament. How I start is going to be very important. I haven’t played any matches on grass, so the first match, or the first few matches, are going to be difficult. 

Jannik Sinner told Vogue

Sinner will be aiming to win his sixth title of the season at SW19. The main draw of the grass-court Major starts on June 29.

While Sinner will be the heavy to win the title, it’s tough to write off Novak Djokovic because he is a seven-time champion at Wimbledon and also reached the final in 2023 and 2024, losing both to Carlos Alcaraz.

Alexander Zverev’s French Open success has given him enough confidence to chase his career’s first grass-court title at Wimbledon. Sascha defeated Flavio Cobolli in the Paris final, winning his career’s first Grand Slam title after three unsuccessful attempts in the final. Zverev has never advanced to the quarterfinals of the third Major of the season.

Also read: Jack Draper Reflects on His Worrying Decline Following A String of Injuries in the Last Twelve Months