Tennis icon Jimmy Connors has claimed that the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is “not their fault” as he urged other players to “challenge” them.
World No 1 Alcaraz and world No 2 Sinner have been comfortably ahead of the rest of the men’s game for a number of months now, with the two sweeping tennis’ biggest titles.
The pair have now won the last eight Grand Slam tournaments between them, beginning from the 2024 Australian Open — with four major triumphs apiece during that time.
2025 was by far and away the best year of Alcaraz’s career, with the Spaniard winning the French Open and US Open titles, eight titles in total, and ending the year as the world No 1.
Despite a three-month suspension earlier in the year, Sinner still tasted success at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and won six titles, including the ATP Finals.
The Italian beat Alcaraz in the year-end championships final in Turin, and the two became the first men in the Open Era to meet in three Grand Slam finals in the same season, facing off at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
The gap between the two and the rest of the tour is sizeable, with a staggering 6,340 points between world No 2 Sinner and world No 3 Alexander Zverev in the ATP Rankings.
All eyes are now on whether and when anyone can consistently challenge the pair in the future, with 38-year-old Novak Djokovic — who finished the year as the world No 4 — still arguably their closest rival.
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One player who knows all about dominance in the game is US great Connors, who won eight Grand Slam titles and spent a staggering 268 weeks as the world No 1 during his career.
And, speaking on his Advantage Connors podcast, the tennis legend claimed it was time for someone to step up and challenge the ‘New Two’.
“Yeah, you need somebody else to step in there and challenge those two,” said Connors. “But on the other hand, it’s not their fault.
“I hate to go back and say it, but my one-time manager Bill Reardon always said that when you get to the finals, there are 126 losers, and then you and your opponent. He’s right.
“Unless somebody steps up and challenges those guys, they’re going to keep dominating. Right now, nobody is.
“The big events, the major matches, the ones on TV, the ones that draw the big crowds and sell the major tickets, are Alcaraz and Sinner.”
The 2025 season is now over for both the Spaniard and the Italian, though their rivalry looks set to resume early on in 2026.
Alcaraz and Sinner are expected to be on court together at an exhibition event in Incheon, South Korea, on January 10, 2026.
The Australian Open will then get underway on January 18, with the two set to be the heavy favourites to lift the men’s singles title in Melbourne.
Sinner will be looking to win his third straight Australian Open title, while Alcaraz will look to complete the Career Grand Slam.
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