World No. 1 Jannik Sinner acquired his first style of grand slam glory on the 2024 Australian Open and grew in confidence the remainder of the yr, capturing 5 extra titles, together with the 2024 U.S. Open.
With two main titles underneath his belt, the 23-year-old might be onerous to cease in 2025 if he retains at his present tempo. That’s the opinion of Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal.
In a column revealed on “El Pais,” Nadal wrote that Sinner’s ascension might be an ominous signal for different gamers on the Tour, together with World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.
“Right now, he has grow to be a participant who’s virtually unstoppable for the overwhelming majority of his opponents,” Nadal wrote of Sinner. “He’s able to delivering every of his strokes with nice pace and with only a few unforced errors. Overcoming him from the again of the courtroom is sort of unattainable…I need to say that I nonetheless take pleasure in Alcaraz’s recreation extra — I like him much more — however I need to additionally admit and concern that the present chief’s notable enchancment, particularly on a psychological stage, will make issues actually troublesome for him. The rivalry is certainly on.”
Nadal additional famous that U.S. star Taylor Fritz made the error of enjoying “very quick rallies” from the again of the courtroom towards Sinner within the U.S. Open final — a recipe for catastrophe towards the Italian. Nadal felt Fritz was making an attempt to shock Sinner with winners from the baseline solely to search out out that making the World No. 1 miss on these rallies is “virtually unattainable” for any participant on the Tour.
Whereas Sinner’s fashion is extra suited to the onerous courts, he made the semifinal at Roland Garros and the quarterfinal at Wimbledon this yr, exhibiting his means to adapt to different surfaces. As such, Nadal feels Sinner might grow to be an much more harmful participant if he begins successful on clay or grass courts.
As Nadal stated, the Sinner vs. Alcaraz rivalry “is certainly on” and will retake middle stage in 2025, a yr after they split the four slams among them. Many really feel the 2 rising stars might dominate tennis over the following decade, very like the famed Large 3 did for the final 20 years.
