Sam Querrey Questions If Jannik Sinner is Indeed Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘Real Competitor’ After Spaniard’s Strong Start to Season

Carlos Alcaraz holds a 10-6 head-to-head lead over Jannik Sinner, last meeting him in the 2025 ATP Finals.

Sam Querrey Questions If Jannik Sinner is Indeed Carlos Alcaraz’s ‘Real Competitor’ After Spaniard’s Strong Start to Season

Jannik Sinner (l), Sam Querrey (circle), Carlos Alcaraz (r) (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Lob & Smash, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

In Short
  • Carlos Alcaraz leads the ATP rankings with 13,550 points, while Jannik Sinner trails with 10,400 points.
  • Sinner has lost in the finals of both the Australian Open and Qatar Open, ending a five-match winning streak.
  • Sam Querrey questions Sinner's competitiveness against Alcaraz, noting Alcaraz's elevated performance in recent tournaments.

Carlos Alcaraz is way ahead in the rankings table, standing on top with 13,550, while second-placed Jannik Sinner has 10,400. If Sinner, who doesn’t have any points to defend in Sunshine Doubles, wins both the Indian Wells and the Miami Open, it still won’t be enough to topple Alcaraz from the first spot.

Alcaraz kicked off his 2026 season in emphatic fashion, clinching his career’s first Australian Open title by defeating Alexander Zverev in the longest semifinal of the tournament and later by upsetting Novak Djokovic in the final. The seven-time Grand Slam champion continued his winning ways, lifting his career’s first Qatar Open by dismantling Arthur Fils.

Sinner lost both the Australian Open and the Qatar Open in the final stages. Djokovic snapped his five-match winning streak with a five-set win in the semifinal over the Italian ace. Then, in Doha, reigning Miami Open champion Jakub Mensik secured a three-set win against him in the quarterfinals.

The only player since the 2025 season who is able to challenge Alcaraz is Sinner, narrowly missing the French Open title against him but later took his revenge by denying him the three-peat at Wimbledon. After losing the US Open title to the World No.1, Sinner denied him the win in the title clash of the ATP Finals. Sinner trails 6-10 in the head-to-head matchups against Alcaraz.

Sam Querrey, when picking which Australian Open champion (men’s and women’s) will taste glory at the Australian Open, chose Alcaraz over Elena Rybakina. He told Tennis Channel:

His only real competition is Sinner, and even that has become more of a question as Alcaraz has considerably raised his level through title runs in Melbourne and Doha. On the women’s side, Elena Rybakina is absolutely playing great tennis, but the women’s field is much deeper, so it’s tough to pick her over Carlos in a battle of who is more likely to win.

Sinner, following his Doha ATP 500 run, said he was experiencing a “little downturn”. The main draw of Indian Wells kicks off on March 4, and Sinner will be bidding to win the title for the first time, having reached the semifinals in 2023 and 2024. In Miami, he won the trophy in 2024 by beating Grigor Dimitrov.

Paul Annacone backs Carlos Alcaraz to win his third Indian Wells title

Roger Federer‘s former coach, Paul Annacone, also gave his opinion on Tennis Channel regarding which 2026 Australian Open winner will win at Indian Wells. Annacone picked Carlos Alcaraz, who will chase his third title in the tournament, having won in 2023 and 2024 by defeating Daniil Medvedev both times. Last year, eventual champion Jack Draper knocked him out in the semifinals.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

Elena Rybakina is a onetime champion in the third WTA 1000 of the season, winning in 2023 by beating World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka. Last year, eventual champion Mirra Andreeva eliminated her in the fourth round.

Because of grittier courts, I go Carlos to win his third Indian Wells title over Elena to win her second. It’s tougher to finish points in Tennis Paradise, and the combination of his superior movement and offensive variety makes him extremely tough to beat in these conditions.

Paul Annacone said

Rybakina tasted glory at Melbourne Park for the first time in her career by downing Sabalenka in three sets, denying the Belarusian her third title in the tournament. While the Kazakh ace is a two-time WTA 1000 winner, Alcaraz will be chasing his ninth Masters 1000 title.

Rybakina failed to win a title at this level last year. Alcaraz added three Masters 1000s (Monte Carlo Masters, Italian Open, and the Cincinnati Masters) last year.

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