‘Best player on hardcourts? Not even close”: John Isner weighs in on Alcaraz – Sinner rivalry

Former world No. 8 John Isner addresses 'who is more popular' between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The 2018 Miami Open champion discussed with Sam Querrey the biggest rivalry in tennis today, this time focusing on the global popularity of each player.

Sinner was the undisputed world No. 1 this year on the court, with 8 titles and a 73-6 season record, comparable to some of the best seasons by male players in history. Three of his losses were to Carlos Alcaraz, with whom he also shared two Grand Slam titles each.

Isner discusses the global popularity of Alcaraz and Sinner

Sinner’s consistency in 2024 worked in his favor, as he maintained a high level throughout the year, while Alcaraz faced some inconsistency with early exits in several major tournaments.

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Querrey and Isner discussed the rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz on the Nothing Major podcast, where the former world No. 11 asked his former colleague if he saw the Spaniard as a more charismatic player, with better public reception. "Do you think that's just because, like, worldwide, Alcaraz is more popular than Sinner, he’s got more charisma, and he has more followers on social media? He’s just more of a showman?"

"I think for me no," replied John Isner. "I just thought because prior to this year, Carlos was the one that had the slams. Sinner didn't have the slams. He’s been pretty close... he had that unbelievable match at the US Open a few years back, but Sinner has been somewhat close, but I didn’t think he was going to win two Slams this year. Pretty ridiculous."

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Moreover, Isner stated that the 23-year-old Italian, while strong on any surface, is not the best on hardcourts. “He’s good on all surfaces. He’s especially good indoors. We talked about how he dominated the World Tour Finals in Turin. But hard courts? Best player? Not even close.”

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