Retired World No.17 point where Carlos Alcaraz is inferior to challenge Jannik Sinner for big titles
Nicolas Escudé: Carlos Alcaraz Is the Key Challenger to Jannik Sinner
Former world No. 17 Nicolas Escudé believes Carlos Alcaraz is the player best equipped to challenge Jannik Sinner. While he acknowledges that Alcaraz has all the tools, he points out that the young Spaniard struggles to use them effectively.
Currently, Sinner sits atop the ATP rankings with a commanding 4,820-point lead over Alcaraz. His dominance was evident at the 2025 Australian Open, where he defeated Alexander Zverev in the final. Meanwhile, Alcaraz fell to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.
“We saw Sinner experience a physical setback against Rune at the Australian Open. But for him to lose, he needs to face a player who can match his physical intensity—or a serving machine who can push him to tight sets and capitalize on small opportunities,” Escudé told L’Équipe.
Since 2024, Sinner and Alcaraz have been the dominant forces in Grand Slam tennis, winning five consecutive major titles and seven of the last ten. Alcaraz first announced himself on the biggest stage by capturing the 2022 US Open title.
“Over the course of a Grand Slam, it becomes complicated. But Alcaraz, with all the weapons in his game, is the one who can find solutions to challenge Sinner,” Escudé added.
Sinner vs. Alcaraz: The Grand Slam Battle
Sinner has been nearly unstoppable on hard courts, winning the last two Australian Opens and the 2024 US Open. Meanwhile, Alcaraz has four Grand Slam titles, with victories at Wimbledon (twice), Roland Garros, and the US Open. Despite Sinner’s recent dominance, Alcaraz still leads their head-to-head record 6-4, having won all three of their matches in 2024.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Challenge on Indoor Hard Courts
As Alcaraz prepares for his debut at the Rotterdam Open, he is focused on improving his performance on indoor hard courts—the one surface where his results have lagged behind.
Alcaraz has been remarkably successful on clay (82% win rate) and grass (nearly 89%), while his hard-court win percentage stands at 75%. Overall, he holds a career win rate of 78.9%, ranking ninth in ATP history.
However, his indoor record (25-12, 67.6%) is noticeably weaker compared to rivals like Sinner and Djokovic, who boast close to 80% win rates indoors.
Alcaraz has yet to claim an indoor title or even reach a final. His best runs came in the semi-finals at the 2022 Swiss Indoors and the 2023 ATP Finals. He also struggled at the 2024 ATP Finals and has yet to make a deep run at the Paris Masters.
As he steps onto the indoor courts of Rotterdam, can Alcaraz take the next step and close the gap on Sinner?
