Former Grand Slam Champion Makes Bold Prediction About Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Dominance on Tour

First seed Jannik Sinner will square off against Fabian Marozsan for the second time in his career at the China Open.

Former Grand Slam Champion Makes Bold Prediction About Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Dominance on Tour

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K, Jannik Sinner HQ)

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A combined total of 29 finals, including at the eight Grand Slam events, have been played by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner since the 2024 season. Two-time Grand Slam singles champion, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, can’t see anyone breaking Sinner and Alcaraz’s dominance in the next five years.

The Italian ace is in Beijing to win his first ATP 500 title since last year’s Halle Open win. Alcaraz, who denied Sinner his second consecutive title at the China Open last year, made his debut at the Japan Open to chase his third ATP 500 title of the season after his victories at the Rotterdam Open and the Queen’s Club Championships. The six-time Grand Slam champion has knocked out Sebastian Baez and Zizou Bergs to set up a quarterfinal clash with Brandon Nakashima.

Apart from the World No.1 and World No.2, the player who is consistent in Majors is Novak Djokovic, who has featured in four semifinals this year. But Kafelnikov thinks the 24-time Grand Slam champion can’t do much to challenge Sinner and Alcaraz’s dominance as he is now at the twilight of his career.

It depends mainly on these two. Simply put, no one can match them. Not Alexander Zverev nor Novak Djokovic. Unfortunately, Novak is physically exhausted, and he knows it. And when you play in Grand Slam tournaments, three sets out of five, it’s very difficult to physically hold a battle with young guys who are at the peak of their careers. And this applies to both Alcaraz and Sinner. I fear we will witness their dominance for at least the next five years.

Yevgeny Kafelnikov said on a podcast (H/T: Tennis World Italia)

Djokovic’s last Grand Slam title came at the 2023 US Open, and since then, he has featured in the final of only the 2024 Wimbledon. Also this year, he played only two finals- at the Miami Open (lost to Jakub Mensik) and at the Geneva Open (won by beating Hubert Hurkacz). He is not playing in Beijing or Tokyo, and will be in action at the Shanghai Masters, scheduled to start on October 1.

Jannik Sinner to lock horns with Fabian Marozsan in the quarterfinal of the China Open

After breezing past former World No.3 Marin Cilic, Jannik Sinner survived a scare in the third round of the China Open against Terence Atmane, winning the match in three sets. Sinner is set to lock horns with Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan in the quarterfinal.

Jannik Sinner US Open 2025
Jannik Sinner (Image via Corrine Dubreuil)

Sinner holds a 1-0 head-to-head lead over the unseeded player after beating him in the fourth round of last year’s Halle Open. Before setting up the clash with the 24-year-old, Marozsan knocked out Frenchman Alexandre Muller in straight sets.

I see he’s (Marozsan) playing great. I watched his match today, for instance. I also watched his first-round match. I know what his tennis peaks are, and I know they can be very high. He’s a great hitter, but he also has touch with the ball, so we’ll see. I’m looking forward to that moment; it’s a kind of new challenge ahead of me, facing a very tough opponent after over a year without meeting. I’m excited, we’ll see what happens.

Jannik Sinner said at the press conference

If the first beats Marozsan, he will meet Alex de Minaur or Jakub Mensik in the semifinals. The four-time Grand Slam champion is chasing his second title in Beijing after his win in 2023.

Sinner last won a title at Wimbledon. So far this season, he has featured in six finals, winning only at SW19 and the Australian Open. He lost the remaining four finals to Carlos Alcaraz, including at the French Open and the US Open.

Also read: Lorenzo Musetti Apologizes for Controversial Chinese Comments at Beijing Open