Mats Wilander Explains Why Jannik Sinner Reminds Him More of Big 3 Than Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have met 11 times and will face each other at the French Open if they reach the final.
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Carlos Alcaraz, Mats Wilander, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Jannik Sinner (Image via ATP Tour, X/f, Quindici Zero, Jannik Sinner HQ)
Even though Carlos Alcaraz holds a 7-4 head-to-head record over Jannik Sinner, Mats Wilander finds more resemblance between the Italian and the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic). The reason is Sinner’s consistent performance in recent years.
Since the 2024 season, no player has been more consistent than the three-time Grand Slam champion. Last year, he clinched eight official titles (including two Majors), ended the season as the Year-End No.1, and also captured his first ATP Finals.
He carried that incredible form to this season, defending his Australian Open title before the doping ban forced him to stay on the sidelines for three months. The 23-year-old was expected to struggle a bit and though he was battling nerves inside, there was no sign of it during his matches.
He progressed to another final but Alcaraz ended his 26-match winning streak. It was also his first straight-set loss in 95 matches and Wilander thinks the record says so much about the youngster. He told TNT Sports:
That's an unbelievable record. And it tells you that Jannik Sinner going to stay No. 1 for the next three, four, five, six years because he is so consistent, because mentally he's there on every single point. He reminds me more of the ‘Big Three’ than Carlos Alcaraz does because of his mindset.
Wilander wonders whether Alcaraz would ever be able to dethrone Sinner from the top of the rankings in the near future. According to the Swede, Alcaraz, who he considered the heavy favorite to win at the French Open, needs a challenge in the form of Sinner to produce a high level of tennis.
Alcaraz had the chance to topple Sinner while he was serving his doping ban. But in three tournaments, the 22-year-old failed to reach the final and also suffered a shock opening-round exit at the Miami Open.
Rafael Nadal reiterates he completely believes in Jannik Sinner’s innocence
Jannik Sinner will no longer will be dealing with the doping scandal as he has served his suspension and can focus completely on the thing that’s the most important for him- tennis. Even if Sinner moves on from this case, debates and discussions are expected to continue in the next few years.
Many critics of anti-doping agencies’ verdict on Sinner don’t hold the World No.1 responsible for the case as they believe he was the victim of accidental contamination. They rather think there need to be some changes in the anti-doping rules given that players with similar cases have faced ban before.
Some, however, have often accused him of intentionally using the banned steroid, clostebol, to enhance his performance. Rafael Nadal is not one of them. He told L’equipe:
I’ve said it several times: I’m totally convinced that Jannik never wanted to cheat or do anything illicit. I’d bet my life on it. There’s always a lot of fuss about this kind of thing, and when it happens, it’s bad for everyone. For him, who, I think, has been through an ordeal for a year. Obviously, for tennis, this kind of thing is negative.
Nadal, who will be honored at the French Open this Sunday, will no longer be playing in the tournament as he called time on his career last year at the Davis Cup. Sinner, on the other hand, will be bidding to win his first title in the French capital.
He had produced his best when he reached the semifinals last year, losing a five-set thriller to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner and Alcaraz could face each other in the final as after the Italian Open, the latter became the World No.2 and will enter the Roland Garros as the second seed.
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