Former French Open winner notes difference between Tennis in 1975 and 2025

Overview

• Adriano Panatta, the only player to beat Bjorn Borg at Roland Garros, noted the difference between Tennis in 1975 and 2025
• The 1976 French Open winner claimed there was room for a surprise element back in the mid-1970s
• He felt the current period was so uniform that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner tend to win almost everything

Adriano Panatta, the only player to beat Bjorn Borg at Roland Garros, noted the difference between Tennis in 1975 and 2025. The 1976 French Open winner claimed there was room for a surprise element back in the mid-1970s. He felt the current period was so uniform that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner tend to win almost everything.

Speaking on Deejay Chiama Italia, the former French Open winner claimed a majority of the players in the 1970s had won at least one Grand Slam title. He felt the current style had become so uniform compared to the past, claiming Sinner and Alcaraz have practically won all Grand Slam titles in the last two seasons.

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"If you look at the world rankings in the 1970s, all the top ten had won at least one Grand Slam. There was much more balance than today. The current situation sees two players who never lose. The style of play has become uniform," Panatta said.

"The level between those two and the others is rising every year," - Adrian Panatta on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's dominance

In his statement, Adriano noted that Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas tended to win a lot when they faced players who were similar to them. However, he added that they would lose to him and John McEnroe due to their different playing styles. He felt the uniformity in playing style to be the reason behind Sinner and Alcaraz's dominance.

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"Bjorn Borg and Guillermo Vilas always won when they faced players who played like them. Then they’d face John McEnroe or me and lose because we played differently. Today, everyone plays the same way, and so the level between those two and the others is rising every year; their opponents are all very far apart," Panatta added.