Juan Martin Del Potro Reflects on the Supremacy of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro believes only a few players on tour can beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in Grand Slam tournaments. Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated the Big tournaments since the start of the 2024 season and have met in three of the last major events’ finals.

Since the 2024 season, no player in the men’s circuit has won a Grand Slam apart from Sinner and Alcaraz. The two stars have shown dominance on tour and are known to lose the fewest matches in a season. Last year, both Alcaraz and Sinner suffered fewer than 10 losses on the court, even Novak Djokovic, who played fewer matches than them, lost 11 times.

Also, Alcaraz and Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open last January. The former defeated Alexander Zverev to reach the final, while Sinner suffered a shocking loss against Djokovic in five sets. Alcaraz then ultimately defeated Djokovic, making sure that the last nine Grand Slams have been won either by the Spaniard or Sinner.

Sinner’s last Grand Slam came at the Wimbledon Championships in July. There, the Italian star stunned Alcaraz in four sets, winning his maiden grass-court major title. Should he win the upcoming French Open in May, he will complete a Career Grand Slam, which Alcaraz achieved at the Australian Open.

Nonetheless, Alcaraz has won two titles already this season, and Sinner is seeking his second at the Miami Open. During an interview with La Nacion, Del Potro, who managed to win just one Slam during the era of the Big 3, revealed that it will be difficult to beat Sinner and Alcaraz just as it was when Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal were at their peak:

Winning a Grand Slam isn’t easy. Very few of us managed it in the era of the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic) , and now I think very few will be able to beat (Jannik) Sinner and (Carlos) Alcaraz. They’ve won the last nine Grand Slams and are clearly ahead of the rest. I hope a Latin American can do it. Many years have passed… Before I beat Federer for the first time (in the 2009 Flushing Meadows final), I lost to him six times.

Alcaraz crashed out of the Miami Open on Sunday (March 22) after losing to Sebastian Korda in three sets. It was the first time since November that the 22-year-old lost in the opening rounds of a tournament. He has reached the semi-finals of his first three tournaments this season, winning two in the process.

Andy Roddick shares concern for the South American swing ahead of the 2028 Saudi Arabia Masters

The ATP announced last year that, starting in 2028, there will be a Saudi Arabia Masters 1000 event. The tournament is expected to be played in February, and it is likely to clash with the South American swing schedule. Recently, top players have begun to play in tournaments in the Middle East, while skipping the South America swing.

There’s a concern that when Saudi Arabia’s Masters tournament begins, the South American tournaments may suffer. During the aforementioned interview, Andy Roddick was asked about the fears of continental tennis. The American legend admitted that previously, fans enjoyed the South American swing more than other tournaments in Europe and in the Middle East:

In my generation, when I was a junior, you would go to South America and see many of the best. I remember the first time I saw (Guillermo) Coria and (David) Nalbandian. They impressed me. And that’s why it’s important to preserve the history not only of Brazilian tennis, but of all South American tennis.

Recently, Stefanos Tsitsipas admitted that he doesn’t play in the South American Swing because there aren’t enough financial incentives from the tournaments. He argued that the Middle East swing offers a better deal to players than what tournaments in South America offer. He was later criticized for his comments, and he apologized.

Also Read: Coco Gauff Hopes to Reach Elena Rybakina’s Level of Serve Consistency: “She’s the Best on Tour”

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