Has Alcaraz and Sinner's dominance faded? Ben Shelton gives his take: "They've won two of the four Grand Slams they've played this year"

2026 has not gone to the script many though it would have. Due to injuries, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have not been able to continue their strangle hold on the ATP Tour, with their previous streaks of dominance being relinquished for the time being. However, their supremacy is still intact, according to Ben Shelton, who highlighted their achievements this year.

Alcaraz and Sinner have sailed clear from the rest of the tour in recent times. Between 2024 and 2025, they equally shared out the eight Grand Slam titles, with the final three in 2025 being played out against each other.

2026 was supposed to follow in suit, but Novak Djokovic prevented Sinner from defending his Australian Open title, with Alcaraz completing the career Grand Slam. The Italian then found his groove in North America, completing the Sunshine double before the only meeting between the titans was a bit of an underwhelming final at the Monte-Carlo Masters compared to other prior clashes.

Sinner came out on top and would continue his imperious Masters 1000 form in this campaign. As everyone floundered behind him, Alcaraz stalled for a period of time with a wrist injury. Sinner made it five Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon, but that was the last time he featured.

The elongated period of withdrawing from tournaments culminated eventually with him ruling out the rest of the 2026 season, including title defences at the Paris Masters and ATP Finals. That is heavenly news for Alcaraz who is now the favourite for these titles with his arch rival out for the foreseeable future.

The injury issues that these two have encountered have not been in tandem, meaning one of them has still been competing for much of the other's time on the sidelines. This meant that the chasing pack still had to find a way past either Sinner or Alcaraz to their respective aspirations.

Shelton did exactly that at the US Open, coming out on top in a five-set thriller against Alcaraz en route to an eventual final defeat against Alexander Zverev. He has been one of the top players in the world, but his accolades at the top level of the sport have not represented his place as the No.4 in the world, mostly down to the brilliance of his rivals.

The No.1 seed at the Swiss Indoors, the American commented on the claims that this season has not witnessed the same ominous authority usually cast by the big two, rejecting these claims wholeheartedly.

"Has Alcaraz and Sinner's dominance diminished? They've won two of the four Grand Slams they've played this year, and Sinner has also won five Masters 1000s. I don't know to what extent you can say their dominance has diminished," he said ahead of his Basel debut.

"I think both will be in great shape heading into the Australian Open in 2027. It was a shame for tennis that both Carlos and Jannik were unable to compete for a good portion of the season. Honestly, I would never go so far as to say that their dominance is ending. It's true that more and more young players are competing for the biggest titles and are growing, but to say that Alcaraz and Sinner are losing their ego seems unfair to me."

While 2027 remains a tantalising prospect for tennis fans with Alcaraz and Sinner touted to rekindle their electric rivalry, there is still much more tennis to play in 2026. The Swiss Indoors and Vienna Open are currently being played out with the stars on show. The Paris Masters will then be at the centre of attention before the best eight players in the world head to Turin to compete in the ATP Finals. Shelton is automatically qualified with Zverev and Alcaraz, but it will be intriguing who will join them with Sinner’s sparkling recent form in the climax event set to come to an end.