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Jannik Sinner is confident that he will “manage” the pain and tiredness following a hectic few months, but he would be wise to take note of Carlos Alcaraz’s injury woes when it comes to pushing too hard.

World No 1 Sinner is on a roll as he has won the first three ATP Masters 1000 trophies in 2026, following his titles at the Indian Wells Open, Madrid Open and Monte Carlo Masters.

And he has continued his winning streak at the Madrid Open as he reached the semi-final with a straight-set win over rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar with his unbeaten run now standing at 21 matches.

Sinner needs two more wins to become the first man to win four consecutive ATP 1000 events – the great Novak Djokovic won five in a row, but he missed one tournament – but the Italian has admitted that he is starting to feel the effects of his recent heroics.

Following a quarter-final exit at the Qatar Open in mid-February, Sinner went on to win six matches in Indian Wells, another six in Miami, five in Monte Carlo and four in Madrid.

His longest break during the run was between Monte Carlo and Madrid as he didn’t compete at the Barcelona Open or the BMW Open in Munich during the second week of April.

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Following his 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) win over Jodar, Sinner stated: “I have played a lot in the last few months. It has been two and a half months where I haven’t had many days off, but at the same time, I try to demand the most from myself to see what I can achieve.

“It will never be easy, but I think I am in a good position, yet I still have a lot to improve. Every day is different; every day you feel differently: sometimes you have pain, sometimes you are tired, nervous, feel pressure… all of that is normal. I try to manage it positively and try to eat well.”

His win over Jodar also helped him to move to 13,750 points in the Live Rankings and if he wins the Madrid Open he will move to 14,350 points, which will keep him on track to break Djokovic’s all-time record of 16,950.

But while adding new records to your collection is always a great achievement, Sinner will be wary of what has happened to Alcaraz in recent weeks.

World No 2 Alcaraz was looking to regain top spot in the ATP Rankings from Sinner as he had a chance to return to No 1 with a title run at the Barcelona Open, but he picked up an injury in the first round and was forced to withdraw from his second-round match.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner admitted after his first-round match at the Barcelona Open that he was tired and he has subsequently ruled out of the Madrid Open, Italian Open and French Open due to a serious wrist injury.

“I’m not afraid to say that maybe this week is the one where I should rest,” Alcaraz said. “We played a Masters 1000 tournament the first week, then we have Madrid and Rome and then Roland Garros.

“This week is the one where I should take a break, but Barcelona is a very special place for me.”

The post Jannik Sinner’s worrying comments similar to Carlos Alcaraz’s remarks before Spaniard’s injury nightmare appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner could be on course to claim what appeared to be an untouchable record set by Novak Djokovic over the next few weeks.

Wimbledon champion Sinner returned to the top of the ATP Rankings after his win against Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte Carlo Masters last month, with the wrist injury that has struck down his big rival changing the dynamic at the top of men’s tennis.

The door is now wide open for Sinner to win his first French Open title at Roland Garros next month, which would allow him to win the only major title missing from his collection.

He is also a firm favourite to win the Rome Masters in front of his Italian fans next month and if he can defend his Wimbledon title, in a tournament that may also be lacking Alcaraz’s presence, he could have a record-breaking ranking points total on his record.

Novak Djokovic holds the distinction of having the most ranking points in the history of the men’s game, reaching a total of 16,950 on 6 June 2016.

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Second on that list is Rafael Nadal with 15,390 from 2009 and third is Roger Federer, with an estimated total of 15,495 ranking points from November 2006, with that number as an estimate of the points he would have had if he were operating under the current ranking points system that was revamped in 2009.

Carlos Alcaraz reached 13,650 ranking points earlier this year and now Sinner will move past that number after his impressive progress at the Madrid Open.

If he were to win the title in the Spanish capital and go on to lift the Italian Open, the French Open and then go on to defend his Wimbledon title, he would have a shot at overtaking Djokovic’s all-time record.

Sinner has insisted the points record is not on his mind, as he played down suggestions he could not take total control of the men’s game in the absence of Alcaraz.

“I never take things for granted,” declared Sinner. “I try to understand what’s working very well in certain conditions.

“A good example is Indian Wells and Miami, two completely different conditions. And you come back to the clay, you don’t have a lot of time, but you try to understand what’s working there.

“Then you come here to Madrid, this is a clay court by itself I feel like, very unique conditions. I just try to understand what’s working.

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“This is my motivation. Trying to put myself in the best possible position to win as many matches as possible and that’s it. You know, there are no, there’s no magic.

“You always try to understand what’s working well in every practice session, and trying to do the same thing in the match. The motivation I find by this, you know.”

Sinner has never won the title in Madrid, Rome or at Roland Garros, so he will need to break new ground to continue his winning run, but his recent form suggests it will take a very special performance to stop the world No 1.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner moves past Carlos Alcaraz record with another big win at Madrid Open

The post Jannik Sinner on course to break the ultimate rankings record in tennis as he has Novak Djokovic in his sights appeared first on Tennis365.

The details behind Carlos Alcaraz’s wrist injury have been kept private by the world No 2 and his team, but there are suggestions that his problem could affect his long-term career unless he addresses it now.

Alcaraz was forced to pull out of the Barcelona Open earlier this month after admitting he ‘felt something go’ in his wrist, with his swift decision to confirm he will miss the rest of the clay court season and will not defend his French Open title, highlighting the severity of the issue.

There are also suggestions in Spain that his hopes of playing at Wimbledon are in doubt, with claims that he is suffering from tenosynovitis.

This is an injury Alcaraz’s fellow Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal suffered with in his time at the top, with the receptive nature of tennis putting a big strain on the wrist.

The challenge with this issue is that it is not easy to solve and can flare up again if an athlete continues to play when the tendon is already inflamed.

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A period of rest and limited use of the affected area is the best course of treatment, as continuing to play could risk tearing the tendon and that would be a serious injury for Alcaraz to overcome.

Plenty of big names in tennis have been offering words of advice for Alcaraz as he ponders his next move, with former British No 1 Greg Rusedski among those urging the 22-year-old to look at the bigger picture as he considers whether to try and get back on court for the grass court season.

“He’s already won seven majors at such a young age. He has all four Slams already. It’s just incredible what he’s done,” said Rusedski on his podcast.

“This is where the team has managed him correctly, you know, just not putting an expectation, any pressure. He wants to try to be ready for Wimbledon. You know, he lost that tough final last year to [Jannik] Sinner.

“It is a little bit disconcerting because he’s gonna miss Paris, that’s an extra two weeks away, which is a total of four and a half weeks off right now with the injury.

“Is he gonna have enough time three weeks afterwards to get ready for the Wimbledon Championship? Hopefully he will be back for the grass court season, but this puts a lot of things in doubt.

“Fingers crossed by about the second week of Paris, he’s already into his stride. Also, when you’re playing on clay, there are long, drawn out rallies on the grass court. It’s a little bit shorter. It’s a little bit sharper as well.

“It just depends on what the conditions are going to be like in summer. If it’s hot, the ball goes through the air quickly. If it’s going to be a little cooler, it goes a little slower. So Carlos will only come back when he’s 100 % fit and ready to go. And let’s hope.

“He needs to look at the bigger picture. He has a long career ahead of him and he can’t afford to have a wrist problem now that could affect him as it did a player like Juan Martin del Potro, who was never the same after he had a wrist problem.”

Alcaraz may only be 22, but the decisions he takes over the next few weeks could be crucial to his entire career, with a wrist problem one of the big fears for all tennis players.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner moves past Carlos Alcaraz record with another big win at Madrid Open

The post Carlos Alcaraz: Latest injury rumours suggest a quick return may not be possible appeared first on Tennis365.

Youngster Rafael Jodar’s Madrid Open fairytale run came to an end in the quarter-final, but he certainly left a mark with world No 1 Jannik Sinner full of praise after their match.

The 19-year-old started the 2026 season at No 168 in the ATP Rankings, but he cracked the top 150 for the first time after the Australian Open before making his top 100 breakthrough after a run to the round of 32 at the Miami Open.

Jodar followed it up with a glorious run at the Grand Prix Hasan II in Morocco when he defeated veteran Marco Trungelliti in his maiden final to win his first ATP Tour singles trophy. And more glory followed at the Barcelona Open as he reached the semi-final to climb into the top 50 for the first time.

The Spaniard proved at the Madrid Open that his recent performances were no fluke as – after earning a wildcard entry – he stunned fifth seed Alex de Minaur and fellow youngster Joao Fonseca to reach the quarter-final.

Facing the in-form Sinner – who has won the first three ATP Masters 1000 events of the year – was never going to be an easy task, but Jodar put up a good fight as it went according to serve until the fifth game of the first set before the Italian secured back-to-back breaks to take the set.

There were no breaks in the second set, but Sinner dominated the tie-breaker and secured a 6-2, 7-6 (7-0) victory and they exchanged words at the net.

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The Italian then paid tribute to Jodar as he wrote “What a player!” on the camera lens after the match, and later in the press conference, he explained what he told the youngster.

“I told him that I wish him the best for the season, to keep working, to keep improving, and that’s all,” he revealed.

Sinner added: “My advice is always to avoid pressure as much as possible. I know there will always be many words on and off the court, but at the end of the day, the player must move forward.

“What he is doing is incredible; I wish him the best, but at the same time, you shouldn’t push too hard because sometimes it gets into your head and it’s very difficult to get rid of.

“He’s a good guy, has a good family behind him, his father is very humble, he has a good bubble that is very beneficial for him.

“I think he will have incredible results in the future. There will always be other younger players in a couple of years, as usual, but he has everything he needs.”

Jodar started the Madrid Open at a career-high No 42 in the rankings and he has surged another eight places to No 34 in the Live Rankings.

But the rising star acknowledges he has to keep his feet on the ground.

“I agree [with Sinner]”, Jodar said. “It’s my first year on Tour, there are a lot of tournaments left this season and many seasons in the future. I have to try to improve and make sure I learn from this.

“I have to try and handle it in the best way possible. Knowing that everyone plays well, these results don’t make me better than I am. Everyone has the desire to win, I have to keep my feet on the ground and be aware that everyone can beat you.”

The post Madrid Open: Jannik Sinner reveals what he told Rafael Jodar at the net after camera message appeared first on Tennis365.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is the highest-profile player who won’t be in action at the Italian Open as he is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, while it remains to be seen if six-time winner Novak Djokovic and British No 1 Emma Raducanu will play.

World No 2 Alcaraz sustained a wrist injury during his opening-round match at the Barcelona Open a fortnight ago and withdrew from the ATP 500 tournament ahead of his second-round encounter, but had high hopes of playing at this week’s Madrid Open.

However, scans revealed the injury was more serious than initially thought and he was not only forced to miss his home ATP 1000 event, but has since also been ruled out of the Italian Open and French Open.

Alcaraz is the defending champion in Rome as he defeated local hero and reigning world No 1 Jannik Sinner in last year’s final, but the Italian will now be the clear favourite, especially if Djokovic – who skipped the tournament in 2025 – decides not to enter.

Djokovic has not played any competitive tennis since losing against Jack Draper in the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open on 12 March as he withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open, stating he is still nursing an injury.

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If he does indeed play, Djokovic will be seeded third behind Sinner and Alexander Zverev.

World No 7 Taylor Fritz is the other top-10 star who has confirmed he won’t play in Rome as he is struggling with a long-term knee injury and he will be joined on the sidelines by Jack Draper, who is also out with a knee injury.

Draper picked up the injury in Barcelona and will also miss the French Open.

Holger Rune, meanwhile, is still recovering from surgery after he ruptured his Achilles tendon last October.

ATP Italian Open withdrawal list

• Carlos Alcaraz (world No 2) – replaced by Sebastian Ofner
• Taylor Fritz (world No 7) – replaced by Zachary Svajda
• Jack Draper (world No 28) – replaced by Hamad Medjedovic
• Holger Rune (world No 39) – replaced by Damir Dzumhur
• Arthur Cazaux (world No 73) – replaced by Mattia Bellucci
• Kamil Majchrzak (world No 74) – replaced by Roberto Bautista Agut
• Eliot Spizzirri (world No 82) – replaced by James Duckworth

WTA Italian Open withdrawal list

There is better news for Italian Open organisers on the women’s side of the draw as the top-50 players in the official WTA Rankings are all set to feature with no withdrawals so far.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka will headline the draw while defending champion and local favourite Jasmine Paolini will also feature along with world No 2 Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek.

Paolini won her home WTA 1000 event last year when she defeated Gauff in straight sets in the final.

You have to go down to No 55 in the rankings for the first withdrawal with British No 1 Sonay Kartal out with a lower back injury, but there are question marks over the likes of Gauff and Swiatek, who struggled with illness during this week’s Madrid Open.

Meanwhile, 2021 US Open winner Raducanu has not featured on the WTA Tour since losing against Amanda Anisimova in the second round in Indian Wells on 9 March due to a viral infection, while Anisimova missed this week’s Madrid event due to a wrist injury.

• Sonay Kartal (world No 55) – replaced by Zeynep Sonmez
• Varvara Gracheva (world No 60) – replaced by Eva Lys
• Veronika Kudermetova (world No 64) – replaced by Petra Marcinko

The post Italian Open withdrawals: Carlos Alcaraz leads list with doubts over Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu appeared first on Tennis365.

The generation of champions led by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic set new benchmarks for greatness in tennis, but the champions of the past should not be forgotten when the debate about the all-time greats is considered.

Prior to Federer becoming the first player to win 20 Grand Slam titles, Pete Sampras was the tennis GOAT as he set a new record of 14 wins in the biggest tournaments in the sport. 

His great rival Andre Agassi was another great of an era that may be overlooked given all that has followed with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic backed up by the game’s current greats, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Players who were playing the greats of the game in the final decade of the last century are well placed to assess the levels being served up by the modern day stars and in the view of former British Davis Cup player Danny Sapsford, the greats of his era performed in a very different sport.

Sapsford played Sampras in the third round at Wimbledon in 1999 and he suggests the speeds of courts and developments in technology have changed the landscape of the sport in the years since.

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“It was a totally different era, different times. I think everything was a lot quicker. The balls were faster, the courts were faster,” said Sapsford, speaking exclusively to Tennis365 as the leader of the Bright Ideas for Tennis charity.

“There was more emphasis on serving and dominating from the net. Back in my day, there was a lot of six-foot-four guys like Goran Ivanisevic, Richard Krajicek, Boris Becker and Pete Sampras. They were big serving, big brutes. 

“I think the players today, I don’t know, I’d almost, I’d almost describe them in inverted commas as, as maybe better tennis players. They are more all round, all round players. Whereas back in the day, you could get away with, I don’t know, being six foot four and having a massive serve and that won you quarters of your matches. 

“Now, if you’ve got slight holes in your game, you’ll be found out. I think the surfaces are too slow and the overall standards are just a little bit too high. Back in our day, I don’t know, it just felt, it felt a little bit easier.”

When Sapsford compares the era he operated in to the one that followed, he admits the bar was raised several time over by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. 

“When you look at Roger, Rafa and Novak, they were topping the world for 20 years plus, which is just stupid,” he added. “It’s staggering how they’ve managed to sustain that level over that period of time and Djokovic is still going, which is mind-blowing. 

“So I guess if Sinner and Alcaraz are still around in 10 years’ time or even 15 years’ time, then you can say, well, yeah, they are as good as those guys.

“But just being top of the game for three or four years, I don’t think that that puts them in the same bracket just yet.

“The game always moves on, so they’ve certainly taken the game to a new level. But like I say, it’s whether they can sustain, sustain that dominance over 15 years or something, that will really prove their mettle.”

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz told one of his biggest qualities may have a negative impact on his game

The post Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner told they are ‘not in the same bracket’ as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has been handed a clear path to assume total control of men’s tennis after it was confirmed his great rival, Carlos Alcaraz, is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Alcaraz was forced to pull out of the Barcelona Open earlier this month after admitting he ‘felt something go’ in his wrist.

It didn’t take long for him to confirm he would also be forced to pull out of the Madrid Open, the Italian Open and, significantly, he will not be fit to defend his French Open title at Roland Garros next month.

There are also some claims that he may miss the grass court season, with world No 1 Sinner now in pole position to win all of those tournaments.

The brutal reality for the chasing pack in men’s tennis is the top two in the rankings have been in a league of their own and if Sinner does snatch his chance to continue his trophy collecting, the men’s game could have a problem retaining interest from tennis fans around the world.

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Sinner’s army of fans in Italy and beyond will be licking their lips at the prospect of their hero claiming enough silverware to ensure he needs to build a trophy room as big as the White House ballroom US President Donald Trump is obsessed with talking about, even at the most inappropriate moments.

Such is the level of dominance Sinner has held over every opponent other than Alcaraz over the last two and a half years that he will have room to have an off day and still beat most of the rivals he will face over the next few months.

World No 3 Alexander Zverev has become an unwitting poster boy for how far behind the rest of the ATP Tour are behind Alcaraz and Sinner over the last year, as he has been heavily beaten by the two players ranked ahead of him.

Sinner has been especially ruthless in his dismantling of Zverev and if he is to be the No 2 seed at the upcoming tournaments in Rome and Roland Garros, the German may fear he needs someone else to beat Sinner to give him a chance.

Novak Djokovic is the wild card in this story, after he stunned the tennis world with his remarkable win against Sinner at the Australian Open last January.

The trouble is, Djokovic is very much a part-time tennis player at the back end of his career and it is hard to know whether he will be match fit and ready to challenge Sinner in a best-of-five-set match at Roland Garros.

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Sinner beat Djokovic comfortably at the French Open last year and would fancy his chances of doing the same again in a window of opportunity that may see his domination go to the next level.

While Sinner is popular with a lot of tennis fans, he lacks the charisma and superstar vibes Alcaraz has in abundance, with his more ruthless tennis less appealing to fans who may drop into the sport for big events like Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Sinner’s time to complete his domination of tennis may have arrived, but the sport may need others to step forward with a game plan to dilute his winning momentum.

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic gets ‘very interesting’ verdict from former Grand Slam finalist ahead of French Open

The post Carlos Alcaraz’s wrist injury has handed tennis a huge problem – and Jannik Sinner could make it worse appeared first on Tennis365.

Arthur Fils has been outstanding since his comeback from a serious back injury, and he is currently on the longest winning streak of his ATP Tour career.

The world No 25 has won his last eight matches: five to claim the Barcelona Open title, and three to reach the quarter-finals at the Madrid Masters.

Since returning to the tour in February, Fils has amassed a stellar 21-5 (80.8%) record across events in Montpellier, Rotterdam, Doha, Indian Wells, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid.

The Frenchman defeated Terence Atmane, Brandon Nakashima, Lorenzo Musetti, Rafael Jodar and Andrey Rublev during his Barcelona title run

In Madrid, Fils has beaten Ignacio Buse, Emilio Nava and Tomas Martin Etcheverry. He will meet Jiri Lehecka in the last eight on Wednesday night.

World No 1 Jannik Sinner is on a 20-match win streak prior to his quarter-final match against Jodar in Madrid.

The Italian star has collected Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo during this run, and he has dropped only two sets.

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Following his fourth round victory over Etcheverry in the Spanish capital, Fils was asked if he could imagine ever achieving something similar to Sinner’s current streak.

“Don’t even mention it (smiles),” Fils replied (translated from French).

“Right now, I’m just trying to win one more. For me, it’s not possible to even consider that.

“I think the most I’ve done in my career is maybe eight or nine. We’re at eight today, we’ll try to reach nine.”

The 21-year-old added: “It feels good, it’s a good habit. You get to the court, you play, you win, you go back to the hotel, you do your treatment, you come back the next day and you win again. It’s a really good thing, it’s not common, so when it happens I just enjoy it.

“For now, I’m just trying to win one more, then we’ll see about those players who win 20 in a row or 17 in a row. For me, right now, it’s not possible. Maybe someday.”

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner calls out Madrid Open organisers as he asks for change after extending win streak

The post Madrid Open: Arthur Fils gives blunt answer to Jannik Sinner winning streak question appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka has reacted after her title defence at the Madrid Open ended with a shock quarter-final defeat to Hailey Baptiste.

The world No 1 was beaten 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(6) by 32nd-ranked Baptiste on Manolo Santana Stadium court on Tuesday evening.

Sabalenka was unable to convert six match points in the third set — five on Baptiste’s serve when leading 5-4 and one when serving at 6-5 in the tiebreak.

The 27-year-old Belarusian was chasing her fourth title at the Madrid Open after triumphing at the WTA 1000 tournament in 2021, 2023 and 2025.

The four-time major champion’s defeat was just her second loss of 2026 and her first since she fell to Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final in January.

Sabalenka had amassed a 15-match winning streak that included her title runs in Indian Wells and Miami and her three wins en route to the quarter-finals in Madrid.

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In a post on her Instagram account after the match, Sabalenka wrote: “Not the ending I wanted, but proud of the work I put in.

“We’re just getting started with clay season. Thank you @mutuamadridopen.”

Here is everything Sabalenka said in her post-match press conference.

Q. What made the difference?

Sabalenka: “It was a tough match. She played great, I played great.

“I think I had some opportunities in the third set, and I felt like I was maybe a little bit rushing the points there. But it’s okay, I guess sometimes you have to learn, take the best from this week and move on.”

Q. What was going through your mind on the match points?

Sabalenka: “I think she played great points. I mean, I had some opportunities, didn’t use them. She played really brave tennis, I feel like, on those match points.”

Q. What did Baptiste do differently compared to their match in Miami (which Sabalenka won 6-4, 6-4)?

Sabalenka: “I feel like, in Miami, I didn’t give her many opportunities — she couldn’t break my serve, I believe. But here, in the first game second set, I just double faulted twice out of nowhere, and I felt like that gave her belief.

“And after that, she started playing more aggressively. As I said, she was playing brave tennis. What can I say? Well done.”

Q. Was there pressure from the winning streak?

Sabalenka: “Not really, I was just playing tennis. I was just trying to find a way in this match. It didn’t work today. As I said, never crossed my mind.”

READ NEXT: Madrid Open: Arthur Fils makes defiant statement as he seals +8 ATP Rankings jump

The post Aryna Sabalenka makes 22-word statement after shock Madrid Open loss to Hailey Baptiste appeared first on Tennis365.

The variety in Carlos Alcaraz’s game may be one of his trump cards, but it can also affect his decision making negativity during matches.

That’s the verdict of former Great Britain Davis Cup player Danny Sapsford, who believes the 22-year-old has so many options on each shot that it can impact his clarity of thought at key moments.

Alcaraz, who is currently out of the game nursing a wrist injury that will keep him out of next month’s French Open, has already won seven Grand Slam titles in the opening few years of his career to put himself on a pedestal alongside some of the game’s all-time greats.

And when Sapsford, who played Pete Sampras in the third round at Wimbledon back in 1999, gave his verdict on Alcaraz’s sumptuous talents, he suggested the options at his disposal can blur his focus when he weighs up a shot.

“Alcaraz is pretty sensational, and I must admit,” said Sapsford, in an exclusive interview with Tennis365.

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“The one thing I find without Alcaraz is he’s almost too good for his own good and that means concentration slips a little bit during a match.

“If he wasn’t so talented, he’d probably need to focus more like I had to. I felt like my tennis game wasn’t very good, but I made up for it with my intensity and my concentration and my mental strength.

“Alcaraz is so good from a tennis point of view and a shop making point of view and he seems to be able to play every single shot in the book and every single style that you want him to do.

“I think as a result, his mental approach is sometimes a little bit lax. And I think the time to beat him is early on in the tournament where he’s not where he’s not totally dialled in.

“I think as soon as he gets through to quarter-finals and semi-finals, like there’s no touching him and no stopping him.”

When Sapsford compares Alcaraz to his great rival Jannik Sinner, he sees comparisons with the great champion who has set the records both are chasing.

“They say Sinner is a bit robotic, but he’s like Novak Djokovic in some ways. He has that sort of tunnel vision,” he added.

“There is an argument that it can be a little one-dimensional, whereas someone like Alcaraz, if he wants to play from the back, he can. If he wants to serve volley, he can do that.

“If he wants to mess you around with drop shots and angles and lobs and what have you, he can. So Alcaraz is certainly more of a complete player.

“Sinner is an unbelievable ball striker. I go and watch the players practice at Wimbledon every year and Sinner may be the purest ball striker I’ve seen there. It’s like, it’s unbelievable how well he strikes the ball and his timing is second to none. 

“The only thing you would say is he is slightly more one-dimensional than Alcaraz. So if plan A is not working, he doesn’t always have a plan B to fall back on.

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“Luckily for him, Plan A works 99% of the time, but now that Alcaraz has come along, sometimes he does need a Plan B.

“That’s what, I guess, he’s been working on a little bit with Darren Cahill and his coaching team.”

Sapsford is leading the inspirational Bright Ideas for Tennis charity that provides opportunities for people who wouldn’t otherwise get the chance to experience tennis.

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