Former World No.1 illustrates how the evolving game of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz makes them stand out from the rest of the ATP tour
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won the last five Grand Slams, including the Italian winning this year's Australian Open.
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Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X)
Former Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters has suggested that the evolution of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s games has set them apart from the rest of the ATP Tour. The duo has won the last five Grand Slam titles combined.
Clijsters, who won the Australian Open in 2011, spoke in collaboration with Andy Roddick on the American’s YouTube channel. The Belgian mentioned that Sinner and Alcaraz tend to go for more winners instead of staying on the baseline and building rallies, unlike other players.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I feel like men’s tennis is… and I’m not saying it’s becoming more like women’s tennis, but guys are hitting the ball a lot harder. They don’t stand as far behind the baseline anymore, except for Daniil Medvedev. Some of them still do, but when you watch matches, take Novak Djokovic, for example. The way he builds points, he rarely hits two or three shots in the same corner. The game is changing, especially for guys like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Every time they get a short ball, they go for the winner. I remember when we were younger, it was more about holding the rally, waiting for the right shot. But now, guys like Jannik and Carlos are so aggressive.
Kim Clijsters said on Served with Andy Roddick podcast
Alcaraz and Sinner have been the two biggest storylines on the ATP Tour today. The duo has won a combined seven Grand Slam titles and played each other three times in 2024. The Spaniard won all of their encounters.
Surprisingly, Alcaraz’s heroics didn’t help him finish in the top two, as he had an inconsistent second half of the season. Alexander Zverev finished as World No. 2.
Carlos Alcaraz hopes to return to winning ways at Rotterdam
Carlos Alcaraz is set to make his debut at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. In the first round, he will face Botic van de Zandschulp. The Dutch player defeated the Spaniard in straight sets at the 2024 US Open. This time, Alcaraz will be looking for revenge.
If Alcaraz wins, he might play Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round. Auger-Aliassime won the title in Rotterdam in 2022. He also claimed victory at the ATP 250 event in Adelaide earlier this year. The Canadian will begin his campaign against a qualifier.
Holger Rune is another strong player in Alcaraz’s section. If both advance, they could meet in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz may also face Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals. He has a slight edge over both players in head-to-head matches.
Rune will start against Lorenzo Sonego, who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals. Rublev, the 2021 champion, will face Zhizhen Zhang in the first round. If Rublev advances, he could meet Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals. Hurkacz begins his tournament against Flavio Cobolli.
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Fahad Hamid
(687 Articles Published)