Patrick Mouratoglou Shares Who He Thinks Can ‘Truly Challenge’ Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner: “A Few Names Come to Mind”

World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz and World No.2 Jannik Sinner have played a combined 15 finals this season.

Patrick Mouratoglou Shares Who He Thinks Can ‘Truly Challenge’ Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner: “A Few Names Come to Mind”

Carlos Alcaraz, Patrick Mouratoglou, Jannik Sinner (Images via X/ Flaunt Magazine)

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Amidst the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the topic that is often discussed is who can challenge them. They have shared the last eight Majors, as well as this year’s four Majors: Sinner won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while Alcaraz clinched the French Open and the US Open.

Joao Fonseca is tipped to join them to form another formidable Big 3. But the Brazilian teen sensation is not the only one Serena Williams‘ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, recognizes as a player who can challenge the World No.1 and the World No.2. Mouratoglou wrote on LinkedIn:

Everyone keeps asking me: who can truly challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the years to come? To do so, a player needs everything: a great forehand, great backhand, great serve, great movement, and a great mindset. It’s a lot. A few names come to mind.

The names that he mentioned were: Ben Shelton, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Fonseca, Holger Rune, and Jack Draper. But none of the players have reached a Grand Slam final. Except for Fonseca and Rune, the other three have played in the semifinals.

All these names show us one thing: the future of tennis is bright, but it also tells us how hard it is to reach the very top.

Patrick Mouratoglou added

At present, Alcaraz and Sinner are in Tokyo and Beijing, respectively, for the ATP 500 tournaments. Alcaraz, the defending champion at the China Open, made his debut at the Japan Open by playing Sebastian Baez.

Draper was last seen in action at the US Open, where an injury forced him to give the walkover to Zizou Bergs. Shelton also had to withdraw from the US Open as he injured his shoulder and gave the walkover to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

Auger-Aliassime chose not to compete in the ongoing China Open or the Japan Open after his semifinal defeat to Sinner in the New York Slam. Rune played the Japan Open but lost to Hamad Medjedovic in his opening round.

Giacomo Naldi on his relationship with Jannik Sinner

During an interview with La Gazetta dello Sport, Jannik Sinner‘s former physio Giacomo Naldi opened up about what his relationship with Sinner is like at present. Naldi used the contaminated spray bought from Italy by Sinner’s fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, on himself. The clostebol in the spray eventually contaminated the 24-year-old, and he ended up failing the doping test twice.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

I’ve always behaved correctly, and I’ve never sought publicity. These are the first official statements I’ve made since everything happened. At times, words have been put in my mouth from other contexts that have sparked social media hate and controversy. Unlike others, I never said anything about what happened, and I think my honesty was evident and appreciated.

Sinner had fired both Naldi and Ferrara after his doping case was announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). In their place, the four-time Grand Slam champion added fitness coach Marco Panichi and physio Ulises Badio. But Sinner fired them before this year’s Wimbledon, during which he injured his elbow while he was facing Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round.

Sinner received treatment from then ATP physio Alejandro Resnicoff, who has now joined the former World No.1’s team. After a prolonged legal battle, Sinner was finally handed a ban of three months, and he returned to action at the Italian Open, only to lose in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz.

It was one of the five matches he played against the six-time Grand Slam champion. Alcaraz stopped him from winning four titles, including the French Open.

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