by Peer pressure can be a great motivator. On Sunday night, after Jannik Sinner’s first major title, his coach was asked how much Sinner was motivated by the example of Carlos Alcaraz. The answer was unequivocal.
“Hell, yes,” said Darren Cahill, a well-respected operator who has already worked with three world No.1s. “Carlos has influenced many young players. We are grateful for that. He is a joy to watch play, we aim to be as good as him and hope one day to be better than him. But right now we are looking for Carlos, and we will continue to do so.”
Was Cahill a little too generous in his final sentence? Yes, Alcaraz has two major titles on Shinner’s head, having won the 2022 US Open and last summer’s Wimbledon crown. But at 20 years old, he is still learning how to cope with the high expectations around him. After winning six of the ten events he entered in the first half of last season, Alcaraz has since gone from zero to eight.
In the meantime, the 22-year-old has gone on a remarkable streak that has made him the best player in the world. It would be quite significant to have lost just one of his last 15 matches – and that was against Novak Djokovic at the end of the ATP Finals. But this stat becomes more alarming when you look closer. Nine of these opponents were in the top 10 players.
As long as both men stay fit and motivated, we can look forward to a long contest – and one with the X-factor that comes with a clash of styles. Alcaraz plays instinctive loose tennis, sometimes struggling to maintain his focus throughout the match. While Sinner – an Italian who grew up close to the Austrian border in the mountainous province of South Tyrol – has the relentless discipline we often associate with German engineering.
So how do these two whizzkids stack up against each other? Here’s a brief breakdown:
Serve
Alcaraz 7/10
With his explosive physicality, Alcaraz can hit 134 mph whenever he wants. But his chest action is not the most technically correct, and his accuracy needs to be improved. He serves a lot first in the box, not getting to the corners often enough. During the year 2023, his score of 302 aces was relatively low.
sinful 8/10
One of the most notable achievements of Cahill and his coaching partner Simone Vagnozzi was to completely revamp Sinner’s serve, adding more shoulder shifts and backhand slides before the jump. “His serve has improved a lot,” Djokovic said after their semi-final in Melbourne. “He’s hitting his corners really well, and I think he’s also increased his speed.” In the final, Sinner faced a break point crisis in the fourth set. His answer? Ace down the ‘T’.
Earth strikes
Alcaraz 8/10
When it’s on, the Alcaraz forehand becomes a stick, capable of delivering any combination of speed, spin and angle. But this is a blazing swing that can also spray the ball when the time allows – and that’s what happened during the first two sets of his quarter-final loss to Alexander Zverev in Melbourne. Gradually, Alcaraz’s opponents have started to serve his stick, as he tends to turn errors from his return. His back is closer and more reliable, although not a lethal weapon.
sinful 10/10
It is a mesmerizing sinner from the earth. The quality of a computer game is about how he hits his shots at equal speed and entering both wings, without slowing down for a second. Sinful groundstrokes are currently the best in the world, even more so than those of Djokovic, who finished 2023 with the highest forehand and backhand rate of the season.
Diversity
Alcaraz 10/10
It felt fitting that Alcaraz chased down his Wimbledon title, and finished the best match in 2023, by repeatedly shooting past Djokovic. His forehand shot, in particular, changed the game. This pick was a rare visitor to the ATP Tour, but is catching on with many players now. Alcaraz is also a volleyer with a great touch.
sinful 8/10
Your strength is also your weakness, they say, and Sinner’s metronomic talents have always been so strong and natural that he didn’t develop many other options during his developmental stage. Again, the training Cahill and Vagnozzi received was invaluable here. Recently, they have been equipped with a decent if not world-class drop shot, as well as a solid slice. He volleys with increasing authority as well.
Movement
Alcaraz 10/10
An electrified jack-in-the-box, Alcaraz is one of the hardest players to beat through, because he moves laterally so quickly and easily that he could be on rails. When he switches to the other axis – forward and back on the court – he is even faster. If you want proof, look at the impossible trick shot Alcaraz hit against Djokovic at Roland Garros last year. He must have traveled through a wormhole to get to that ball.
sinful 9/10
Again, Sinner has less attention than Alcaraz, but covers the court with great fluency and tact. If there is a table tennis quality to his striking style, it is because he is constantly cutting corners and moving forward to take away his opponent’s time. You rarely see him pushed deep behind the baseline.
Totals: Alcaraz 35 Sinful 35
The two young meteors have come out on equal footing in our survey, but I’m going to give Sinner the win anyway. Groundstrokes should really count twice, as they are the bread and butter of any tennis match. It’s hard to see Alcaraz hitting sin on a hard court right now, especially given their respective confidence levels. But the great charm of tennis is that everything changes: not only form but conditions and surfaces. When the tour moves on to the red clay of Europe, all bets are off.
