Diego Schwartzman names his toughest opponent between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been the biggest storylines in the 2024 ATP season and will be favorites for the World Tour Finals.
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Diego Schwartzman, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (via X)
Former World No. 8 Diego Schwartzman has shared who he considers his toughest opponent between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The Argentine, who is in the final months of his professional career, is set to retire at the Argentina Open in 2025.
In an interview, Schwartzman chose Sinner over Alcaraz as his most challenging opponent. He noted that both Sinner and Alcaraz are extremely competitive and tough to beat, similar to the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic).
Let’s pick one of the new guys. I think Sinner. I played him a couple of times. He wasn’t even in the top 10 yet and I was like, ‘Come on, what is this guy? The slides, the power, the moves, everything.’ I was like… scary. It’s crazy. We played against Novak, Roger and Rafa. They’re the best players in the world. But Sinner and Alcaraz, what they do with their bodies, it’s crazy.
Diego Schwartzman said in a report by Tennis Gazette
Schwartzman has faced Sinner and Alcaraz a total of five times and has yet to win against either. His last match against one of them was at Wimbledon last year, where he lost to Sinner in the second round.
Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated 2024, winning all four Grand Slam titles between them. Due to their strong performances this season, they are expected to finish in the top two of the ATP rankings.
Jannik Sinner optimistic for the Paris Masters despite tough draw
Jannik Sinner doesn’t yet know who he’ll face in his first match at the upcoming Rolex Paris Masters. However, he’s already preparing for a challenging start, as his return game may be tested early in his quest for a fourth ATP Masters 1000 title in 2024.
[It is a] very tough draw. A very, very difficult draw, especially here on these courts. Big servers are very tough. But we go day by day. Then anything can happen. The draw can open up sometimes, or you never know what’s coming. I try to prepare in the best possible way for the first-round match. It’s going to be very difficult [if I face] Ben. It’s very, very difficult in any case… So it’s going to be a very tough one.
Jannik Sinner said at the Paris Masters pre-tournament press conference
Initially, the top-ranked Sinner was set to face either Ben Shelton or Felix Auger-Aliassime, but Auger-Aliassime withdrew on Saturday. This means the Italian’s opponent will now be Shelton or a qualifier. If he faces Shelton, known for his powerful left-handed serve, Sinner will need to adjust quickly. This will be his first indoor match since winning the Rotterdam title in February.
Sinner has limited success at the Paris-Bercy event, with only one win in his previous three appearances. He lost his first-round match to Carlos Alcaraz in 2021 and had an early exit against Marc-Andrea Huesler in 2022. Last year, he won against Mackenzie McDonald but had to withdraw before his third-round match.
Now, with only two weeks until the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, where he’ll play for the third time, Sinner is aiming to finish his impressive 2024 season strong. He also hopes to extend his 5-0 winning streak on hard courts this year at an event known for its surprise champions.
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Fahad Hamid
(679 Articles Published)