This Sinneraz rivalry is beginning to take on mythic dimensions. The pair have combined to win 22 of the last 23 tournaments in which they have both competed!
The last person to win an event when both were in action was Grand Slam underachiever Andrey Rublev, who somehow navigated the Sinneraz minefield to win the 2024 Madrid Open. Jannik Sinner has wrestled back the momentum, winning the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ in historic fashion to close the gap on his storied rival. The Italian looks like a man possessed in his quest to reclaim the no.1 ranking.
Sinner takes advantage of Alcaraz blip
There was a part of me that thought Alcaraz would run away with the no.1 ranking following his Qatar success. He had broken Sinner’s relentless hardcourt dominance, winning back-to-back slams in New York and Melbourne. Sinner also seemed shaken by that Aussie Open defeat to Djokovic, inexplicably going down to Mensik in Qatar. But the Italian has regrouped in sensational fashion, becoming the first man in history to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ without dropping a single set. Conversely, Alcaraz has a mini ‘mare’ during this sun-drenched period, losing to Medvedev in the Indian Wells semis before a shock Miami exit at the hands of ungainly Seb Korda.
Sinner the servebot?
Ok, we all know that Jannik Sinner is much more than just a serving machine (I was being a little playful with that sub-heading). But I do think that his improved serving motion helped lay the platform for his historic ‘Sunshine Double’ run. He was particularly dismissive in Miami, serving 70 aces over six matches (his highest tally in a three-set tournament to date). He used that tool to smother the best efforts of Lehecka in the final, winning an eye-boggling 92% of his first-serve points. Trailing 0-40 and facing three break points while leading 2-1 in the first set, Sinner summoned five monster first-serves to nullify Lehecka’s resistance. His serve has turned into a Get Out of Jail Free card comparable to peak-Federer.
Alcaraz downturn could be blessing in disguise
For the 2nd successive season, Carlos Alcaraz has struggled to maintain his elite level in March. I personally feel that it could work out well for him in the grand scheme of things. I think that Alcaraz- perhaps even more than Sinner- has worked out one important thing: winning slams is more important than being World No.1. Alcaraz is a child of the ‘Big Three’ era and will tell you that it all ultimately boils down to one thing: how many slams do you have? There’s a reason why it’s a ‘big three’ and not a ‘big four’ (sorry Mr. Murray). Alcaraz seems uniquely able to switch off his tennis-brain when he’s away from the court, playing plenty of golf and generally revelling in his downtime (he just bought a bespoke Ultima 88 catamaran to prove my point). Alcaraz has probably identified this portion of the season as less important. The early exit in Miami has left him a little more vulnerable than he would have wanted to be. But he really comes to life on the natural surfaces and will feel confident of defending his clay-court points.
Sinner’s 2025 doping suspension gives him room to plunder
Last year, there were many who felt Sinner lucky to escape with just a three-month ban for that positive Clostebol test. It also seemed rather cynical that the three-month ban was conveniently located between last year’s Aussie and French Open (meaning the Italian wouldn’t miss a single slam). The feeling that he dodged a bullet is exacerbated by the fact that he doesn’t have any points to defend until Rome. Alcaraz was virtually unbeatable during last year’s clay-court jollies and will need to be practically flawless as Sinner looks to pile on the points. The top two are currently separated by 1190 rankings points. Another Miami Open-style blip could put Sinner in touching distance of Alcaraz’ World No.1 ranking.
Can anyone close the gap on these two?
Let’s forget about the 1, 190 points separating Alcaraz and Sinner for just one second. How about the 7, 195 points separating Sinner and 3rd placed Alex Zverev? The discrepancy between Sinneraz and the rest is threatening to split the circuit into two different tours, with Novak sporadically making a guest appearance in the premier Sinneraz Tour. For the moment, it doesn’t appear that there is anyone remotely close to challenging the status quo. This could get boring soon. We need this current generation’s answer to early 2000’s Djokovic, who disrupted the Federer-Nadal rivalry and created something truly timeless.
