Wilander defends Sinner–Alcaraz rivalry, calls it ‘special’, not boring

Overview

• The Jannik Sinner–Carlos Alcaraz rivalry has become a defining feature of men’s tennis in recent years.
• Some fans and experts fear their dominance could make men’s tennis more predictable and, at times, boring.
• But former World No. 1 Mats Wilander strongly disagrees, calling it “special.”

The Jannik Sinner–Carlos Alcaraz rivalry has become a defining feature of men’s tennis in recent years. Since 2024, all eight Grand Slam titles have been shared between them. At the latest US Open 2025 final, fans once again witnessed the two young stars face each other. This time, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz came out on top, reclaiming the World No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings by dethroning Sinner.

Also Read: “They’re just too good” – Djokovic on Sinner and Alcaraz after US Open exit

While this rivalry has been hugely entertaining, some fans and experts fear their dominance could make men’s tennis more predictable and, at times, boring. But former World No. 1 Mats Wilander strongly disagrees, calling it “special.”

"I don’t see it as boring because every time Sinner and Alcaraz play a final, I am expecting something very special," Wilander said. "The reason why I believe Sinner and Alcaraz are so far ahead of the rest in the men’s game is that they are so complete. They are playing our game in a different style than two or three years ago.”

"Sinner doesn’t wait for anything to come to him." - Wilader

Wilander then explained what sets them apart from others.

“If you look back to that period, we had Daniil Medvedev maybe as the best hard court player in the world for a period of time. Then you compare to the pace of play and the speed Jannik Sinner is playing at and there is a big different. Sinner doesn’t wait for anything to come to him. He goes to the ball, attacks it and puts his opponents under pressure. The same with Alcaraz. He waits for nothing. He attacks every ball and you just feel there is no time to rest,” he said.

He also highlighted the contrast with other top players.

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"Compare this to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev or Medvedev and they often wait for the ball to come to them. We don’t see that with Sinner and Alcaraz. They are just much more aggressive than the other players and not just some of the time. All of the time. They are just more aggressive and until someone comes along to match them, they will be hard to beat. The style of tennis they are playing now is just so hard to stop," Wilander added.