Toni Nadal Claims Carlos Alcaraz’s Rival Is Only Jannik Sinner As He Gives Verdict on Current State of ATP Tennis

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will set up a blockbuster clash at the French Open if they both reach the final.

Toni Nadal Claims Carlos Alcaraz’s Rival Is Only Jannik Sinner As He Gives Verdict on Current State of ATP Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz, Toni Nadal, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz.4K, The Tennis Letter)

According to Rafael Nadal‘s uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz is lucky because he has only one rival to deal with- World No.1 Jannik Sinner. Nadal claims the overall level of current players on the ATP tour is “lower” than what it used to be during the time of the Big 3 (Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic).

The Big 3 era will come to an end after the retirement of Djokovic, who is in Paris participating at the French Open and could meet Sinner in the semifinals and Alcaraz in the final. The Italian ace has defeated Alcaraz four times in their seven matches, the latest one being this year’s Italian Open final.

Thrice last year Sinner fell in tournaments due to defeat to the four-time Grand Slam champion. Uncle Nadal, while talking to reporters in Lorca, gave his verdict on the current state of the ATP Tour.

He’s [Alcaraz] a great player, he does everything very well. He’s in exceptional physical condition, he’s fast, he hits the ball very well, he’s powerful, every shot he makes is powerful…He only has one opponent, who is Sinner. And I think he has an advantage over Federer, Djokovic and company. Without taking any credit away from him, I think there’s a lower overall level.

Djokovic is bidding to win his historic 25th Grand Slam title, last winning a Major back at the 2023 US Open. His longtime rivals, Federer and Nadal, bade farewell to their respective careers at the 2022 Laver Cup and the 2024 Davis Cup, respectively.

Jiri Lehecka says only Carlos Alcaraz can beat Jannik Sinner

Jiri Lehecka, the 34th-ranked ace from the Czech Republic, was expected to give some competition to Jannik Sinner in the third round. But what followed was a complete demolition from the three-time Grand Slam champion.

Jannik Sinner (4)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Sinner was on the verge of handing double bagels to Lehecka. When the score read 5-0 in the second set, with efforts Lehecka finally was able to secure the sixth game, leading to the crowd erupting with thunderous applause, while he smiled and punched the air.

All Lehecka could win were a mere three games. Later at the press conference, Lehecka, who is now 0-3 in the head-to-head encounter with Sinner, admitted that he thought he wouldn’t be able to win a game. He was all praise for the Italian youngster and claimed that the only player who can beat Sinner is Carlos Alcaraz.

Honestly, the only one who can beat Sinner is Alcaraz. He’s a player who likes these conditions, knows how to move very well, lifts the ball with a lot of weight. He knows how to play at every moment when to drop shots when to come to the net. In fact, the only points I won today were when I came to the net, and this is something that Carlos does very well.

Jiri Lehecka said at the press conference

Sinner, before losing the Italian Open final to Alcaraz, thrashed two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals. The 23-year-old and Alcaraz are first and second seeds, respectively, in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time and will only meet if they both reach the final.

Sinner will next be locking horns with Andrey Rublev, against whom, he holds a 6-3 lead in the head-to-head meetings and won the match the last time they played, in the quarterfinal of last year’s Cincinnati Masters, which Sinner later won. Alcaraz will next be locking horns with Ben Shelton against who, he has a 2-0 win-loss record.

Also read: Aryna Sabalenka Reveals Her Change of Personality on the Court After Her Third-Round Win at Garros