Patrick Mouratoglou Reveals How Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Can Break John McEnroe’s ‘Unbelievable’ Record
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have faced each other 15 times, with the former winning 10 matches.
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John McEnroe, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Patrick Mouratoglou (Image via X/AllAboutHQ, Jannik Sinner HQ, Olly Tennis)
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Last year, Jannik Sinner dominated on the tour as he played nine finals and clinched eight titles, including the Australian Open and the US Open. This year, Carlos Alcaraz has won the most titles- eight from 10 finals, including the French Open and the US Open.
Sinner’s win-loss record last year was 73–6 (92.41%), while Alcaraz has a win-loss record of 67–7 (90.54%) this season. On the men’s tour, former player John McEnroe holds the record for the highest win-loss percentage (96.5%) thanks to his incredible 1984 season when he had a win-loss record of 82-3.
Serena Williams‘ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, thinks Alcaraz or Sinner could break McEnroe’s record if one of them gets injured. He said on Instagram:
It was the final of Roland Garros against Ivan Lendl. John McEnroe was two sets up, 6-3, 6-2. So close to winning, but he did not. I think this record is beatable. When you see the dominance of Carlos and Jannik at the moment, I think that if one year, one of those two is injured in the near future and the other one is extremely focused, I think they can beat that record.
This year, Sinner has played seven finals, winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the China Open. Sinner was last seen in action at the Shanghai Masters, where cramps forced him to withdraw mid-match in the third round.
Alcaraz skipped the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season. The last title he won was the Japan Open, by beating Taylor Fritz. He was the reason Sinner failed to win the Italian Open, French Open, and the US Open (Sinner gave the walkover in Cincinnati). They have clashed eight times since the 2024 season, with Sinner clinching the win just once, at Wimbledon.
Sam Querrey on whether Carlos Alcaraz will lose his No.1 ranking to Jannik Sinner this year
With a 1000-plus point lead, Carlos Alcaraz stands on top of the rankings table with 11,340 points, and below him is Jannik Sinner with 10,000 points. The table could turn if Alcaraz suffers early defeats and Sinner wins the rest of the tournaments. But Sam Querrey, a former player from America, thinks Sinner’s chance to reclaim his No.1 ranking looks quite slim.
[Alcaraz] isn’t going to go lose to end the year, right? I think Carlos is going to win some matches, maybe some tournaments. But Sinner last year, remember how well he played at the end of the year? He could roll off three in a row late, but I think the lead from Carlos is just too much right now.
Sam Querrey said on Tennis Channel
The Paris Masters will be an important event for Alcaraz and Sinner if the rankings are considered. Sinner, during an interview in Riyadh, has confirmed that he will be playing the last Masters 1000 of the season. The four-time Grand Slam champion doesn’t have any points to defend, given that he skipped the indoor hardcourt event last year. Alcaraz suffered a third-round exit last year.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz are in Riyadh for the Six Kings Slam, where the former won the title last year by beating the latter. Sinner will face Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals. The six-time Grand Slam champion has received a bye and will play in the semifinals.
After Riyadh, Sinner will fly to Vienna for the ATP 500 event. Another tournament that will determine who stays on top is the ATP Finals, where Sinner will enter as the defending champion (beat Taylor Fritz last year). Alcaraz is yet to take home the year-end championships, and last year, he failed to progress to the semifinals.
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