Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are currently ranked number one and number two in the world, and have shared the last six Grand Slams.
Earlier this month, Sinner and Alcaraz faced off for the 12th time in the final of the 2025 French Open.
In one of the greatest Grand Slam finals in tennis history, Alcaraz battled back to beat Sinner 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 7-6.
After almost five and a half hours of brutal action on Court Philippe Chatrier, Alcaraz defeated his Italian rival once more.
Photo by THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP via Getty Images
The Spaniard has dominated the head-to-head with Sinner over the past 12 months, winning each of their previous five meetings.
As Sinner looks for solutions on how to beat Alcaraz, one legendary ATP coach has suggested the two areas where he can improve.
Toni Nadal says Jannik Sinner can improve his drop shots to beat Carlos Alcaraz
During an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Rafael Nadal’s former coach, Toni Nadal, highlighted the areas of Sinner’s game that could do with some work.
“I speak as an outside observer, [Jannik] Sinner’s coaches know very well what needs to be worked on,” said Nadal.
“He has a great serve, very powerful forehand and backhand, and he is very solid. He could be more precise in the drop shots, and sometimes he is a bit in a hurry.
Photo by Tim Clayton/Getty Images
“Carlos [Alcaraz], on the other hand, is more creative. Everyone can do better; even [Roger] Federer perfected his backhand. Jannik will continue to add small details, to evolve.”
Nadal continued on, explaining why Alcaraz has the edge over Sinner in their rivalry.
“I think the Spaniard is mentally a little superior in the decisive moments, while the Italian is better at imposing a very high pace without making mistakes. But when it’s the key moment, between the two of them, maybe Carlos is a little superior,” he said.
“Sometimes it’s just that your game and that of your rival don’t combine well. Carlos dominates the precedents with Sinner, but the truth is that if the Italian had had a little more luck, he would have two more victories and Carlos two more defeats.
“All it takes is one ball in or out, and chaos breaks out: everyone becomes an expert, the press looks for exceptional explanations. Instead, you have to resign yourself: sport is a simple thing.”
Nadal may have made a good point, as whilst Sinner trails Alcaraz 4-8 in the head-to-head, he’s lost several close matches.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head record
Sinner has lost to Alcaraz in a deciding set on four occasions since the beginning of the 2024 season.
Had those results gone the other way, the head-to-head would tell a different story.
The Italian won’t want to dwell on the past and will now turn his attention to Wimbledon, a tournament he will enter as one of the favorites.
It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Alcaraz or Sinner lifting the trophy next month, although Nadal has named the American star who he thinks could cause real problems for the top seeds at the All England Club.
Ben Shelton can cause an upset at Wimbledon says Toni Nadal
Previewing this year’s Wimbledon tournament, Nadal suggested the big names may want to avoid one player in particular.
“Normally, a Sinner-Alcaraz final [would be expected], but we’re talking about a particular Slam, there are always some surprises,” he said.
“If you find a [Ben] Shelton or another great hitter on the day, important heads can fall. Grass is a treacherous surface, where the match can quickly get out of hand.”
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Shelton broke into the ATP top ten for the first time on Monday following his run to the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open in Germany.
The 22-year-old often produces his best tennis at the Grand Slam events, having reached two semi-finals and a quarterfinal in 11 tournaments.
Only time will tell if Shelton can make another deep run when Wimbledon begins on Monday, June 30.