Mats Wilander Explains Why He Picked Jannik Sinner as Favorite for US Open and Not Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could face each other for the fifth time this season if they reach the US Open final.

Mats Wilander Explains Why He Picked Jannik Sinner as Favorite for US Open and Not Carlos Alcaraz

Mats Wilander, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Quindici Zero, Carlos Alcaraz Brasil)

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will enter the US Open as the heavy favorites to win. They have not only won the first three Majors but have denied other players the success since the 2024 Australian Open.

Novak Djokovic is the last player other than them to win a Major (beat Daniil Medvedev at the 2023 US Open). This season, Sinner beat Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the Australian Open final, lost the French Open by the smallest of margin against Alcaraz, who couldn’t repeat the same when they met in the Wimbledon final. He was denied a three-peat at SW19 by the World No.1, who became the first player from Italy to win the grass-court Major.

Next is the US Open. Sinner will enter the tournament as the defending champion. Last year, he stopped Taylor Fritz from ending the American men’s title drought in the home Slam with a straight-set win.

Alcaraz, although he suffered a shocking second-round exit in New York last year, beat Casper Ruud in the final in 2022. The tennis world has already started its prediction for the last Major of the season, and Mats Wilander picked the four-time Grand Slam champion to win his fifth Major. He told TNT Sports:

If I had to pick a favourite, I would pick Jannik Sinner, because I think that there’s less of a chance that he loses early in the tournament than it is for Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz has improved his head-to-head lead over the 24-year-old to 9-5 after their match in the Cincinnati Masters final. Sinner was forced to withdraw in the first set as he was suffering from flu.

And I know that (Alcaraz has) been in every final that he’s literally played in, in the last few months. So, he doesn’t really lose to players that are lower rank.

Mats Wilander added

After failing to win his Cincinnati title, Sinner withdrew from the revamped mixed doubles event at the US Open. But Alcaraz, in less than 24 hours after his Cincinnati match, played his first mixed doubles match alongside Emma Raducanu. The pair lost to the first seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper in the first set.

Italian commentator thinks Jannik Sinner is fragile than other players

During his fourth-round match at the Australian Open this year against Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner suffered from a sickness and even sparked controversy by taking an 11-minute medical timeout. Last year in the Wimbledon quarterfinal, Sinner battled sickness and eventually lost to Daniil Medvedev in five sets.

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (via Punto de Break)

After his withdrawal from the Cincinnati Masters due to sickness, Italian tennis commentator Guido Monaco observed one thing when Sinner is sick. Monaco thinks Sinner struggles in certain conditions, and he also pointed out the South Tyrol native often touches his upper stomach when he deals with some kind of sickness.

Sinner might be more fragile than others and suffers more in certain conditions. I’m fine with that, it makes him more human.

Guido Monaco told OA Sport

Sinner will now hope to recover completely before the US Open singles main draw, which starts on August 24th. If he fails to defend the title, he could lose his No.1 ranking to Carlos Alcaraz if the five-time champion adds the US Open to his trophy cabinet.

The 22-year-old has so far played eight finals this season, lifting six titles, including at the French Open. The two titles he failed to win were the Barcelona Open and the Wimbledon Championships. Sinner has so far reached five championship matches and lifted titles at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon and lost the matches at the Italian Open, French Open, and Cincinnati Masters, all to Alcaraz.

Also read: Martina Navratilova Backs Iga Swiatek to Win the 2025 US Open Following Wimbledon Triumph