Carlos Alcaraz will be 'heavy heavy favourite for years' over Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros admits Mats Wilander
ATPSaturday, 06 April 2024 at 00:00
Former world number one Mats Wilander believes that Spain’s
Carlos Alcaraz will start the French Open as a favourite ahead of Italy’s
Jannik Sinner.
Both players are often regarded as the two best young players
currently playing in the men’s singles category. In the recent past, Sinner has
been undoubtedly the best player in the men’s category and he won the Miami
Open after beating Grigor Dimitrov in the final in straight sets with a score
of 6-3, 6-1.
It is because of this reason Sinner has now claimed the
number two spot in the ATP rankings, overtaking Alcaraz in the process.
Read also
Despite all of that, Wilander, who was recently quoted in a
report, believes that Alcaraz will be the favourite ahead of Sinner in the
French Open.
“I don’t think Jannik’s going to walk into Roland-Garros as
the favourite necessarily unless he puts together three or four great weeks on
clay in the clay season beforehand,” said Wilander.
“When it comes to him on clay, he’s going to be compared to
Novak Djokovic so many times in his tennis career. He plays more aggressively
than Novak most of the time, but the defensive part of his game is very
similar. That defence on a clay court doesn’t always work.
“When you’re not willing to step away from the baseline,
there’s going to be times when the court is either too slippery or his opponent
is playing too well, and so he’s not going to be the favourite at the French
Open.
Read also
“If I was coaching Jannik Sinner, I’m hoping to see him
continue his hard court tennis throughout the first few weeks of the clay court
season.
“Keeping in mind, he’s very comfortable on clay being
Italian, but I don’t think that he is able to win the French Open if he starts
playing a little bit more passive, if he starts not controlling the point,
because no matter how good he is at defending, defending with an open stance on
the backhand on a clay court one metre behind the baseline is not going to be
good enough against certain players on certain days.”
“I think Carlos Alcaraz will come into the French Open as a
heavy, heavy favourite for many more years than Jannik Sinner.
“But that doesn’t mean that Sinner, over five sets, won’t
win the French Open as many times as Alcaraz, because three out of five sets is
a massive advantage for Sinner, being so level-headed the whole time.”
Azeem Siddiqui is a seasoned sports journalist and data analyst with a strong background in both digital media and live sports production.
He began his journalism career working with partners of The New York Times and has since contributed to several leading international sports publications, including Fox Sports Asia, Calciomercato, and GiveMeSport. Since 2023, Azeem has been part of the TennisUpToDate team, where he has played a key role in sustaining the platform’s growth and ensuring tennis fans receive timely and reliable coverage of the sport’s biggest stories.
In addition to his editorial work, Azeem has extensive experience as a data analyst in live sports broadcasting—particularly in cricket—where he combines analytical precision with creative storytelling. He has collaborated with multiple production companies and cricket boards worldwide, delivering real-time insights and data-driven narratives during live match coverage.
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