Tommy Paul draws a comparison of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s playing styles after US Open defeat
Tommy Paul has lost in his two Grand Slam events to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner respectively.
Tommy Paul, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (via Imago)
American tennis player Tommy Paul has reflected on his experiences playing against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Paul has shared the court with both tennis superstars but has often come up short against them.
The 14th seed lost to Sinner in three close sets in the US Open fourth round, as he mentioned during his post-match press conference. Paul has lost to both Alcaraz and Sinner in his last two Grand Slams.
At Wimbledon, he led the Spaniard by a set and a break before Alcaraz turned the tables and won in four sets. Paul also lost to the eventual Wimbledon champion at the Paris Olympics.
I don't know, comparing to Alcaraz, I feel like Alcaraz is, you know, he wants to come in more and plays more all-court style, but Sinner is probably the best ball striker on tour. He uses it very well.Tommy Paul said in the post-match presser
At the US Open, Paul led Sinner in the first two sets but lost both in tiebreaks. The final set was a foregone conclusion, as the Italian had the momentum and raced to a 7-6, 7-6, 6-1 victory.
The dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2024
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been the two biggest storylines in terms of major tournament wins in 2024. The two players are considered by many to be the new version of the iconic Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry.
The season started with Sinner winning the Australian Open, defeating Daniil Medvedev in five sets. The Italian maintained his form by winning in Rotterdam, but he was stopped by Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semifinals. The Spaniard went on to win the BNP Paribas Open.
Sinner returned to winning ways in the Miami Masters, defeating Grigor Dimitrov in the final. However, both players had a barren run during the clay-court season, failing to win any of the three Masters 1000 titles. Sinner and Alcaraz, however, played one of the best matches of 2024 in the Roland Garros semifinals, where the 21-year-old won in five sets. Alcaraz eventually secured his third Grand Slam title in Paris.
Alcaraz defended his Wimbledon title, once again defeating Novak Djokovic in the final. However, the Serb turned the tables on him in the Olympic gold medal match in Paris. Sinner did not play in the Paris Olympics due to a virus. However, he returned for the North American tour. Although he did not defend his Canadian Masters title, he won his first Cincinnati Open title.
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Fahad Hamid
(224 Articles Published)