Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been by far the best two players on the ATP Tour for the past three seasons.
Before Alexander Zverev’s Roland Garros victory earlier this year, Sinner and Alcaraz had shared the last nine Grand Slam titles between them.
Sinner’s Wimbledon triumph in July was his fifth Grand Slam victory in that time, while Alcaraz also has five since the winning the Roland Garros title in 2024.
Unfortunately, Sinner and Alcaraz have not been able to flex their rivalry on the ATP Tour this year, as they have both suffered with injuries in 2026.
Alcaraz suffered a wrist injury which kept him out of Roland Garros and Wimbledon, while Sinner’s recent knee injury has ensured he hasn’t played the US Open.
Despite their inactivity recently, they are still far and away the most decorated players in men’s tennis, outside of Novak Djokovic’s incredible Grand Slam haul.
Many cannot pick between the Italian and Spaniard, but Juan Martin del Potro has explained why he prefers Alcaraz over Sinner.
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Speaking to ESPN Spain, the 2009 US Open champion said: “For me, Alcaraz, he’s the most complete player. He has a freshness in his game that maybe lets him do things Sinner doesn’t. He’s very talented, can vary the pace in every way, and has every shot. I’m a big fan of him.”
Alcaraz has a major opportunity to capitalise on the lack of Sinner at this year’s US Open, although he too is struggling with fitness issues still.
The Spaniard played his first match in four and a half months against Roman Safiullin in the first round of the US Open, which was impressively straightforward.
Alcaraz defeated the Russian star 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second round match with Jaime Faria and earn the 25th US Open victory of his career so far.
The world No 3 has also been buoyed by several high-profile exits in his half of the draw, as seeded players such as Novak Djokovic, Arthur Fils, and Cameron Norrie were beaten in the first round of the Grand Slam.
Should Alcaraz go all the way and win the US Open this year, he will earn the eighth Grand Slam title of his career so far. That will put him three above Sinner, who earned his fifth major title by winning Wimbledon in July.
Alcaraz and Sinner will have to wait even longer to play each other once again, as they have signed up for different tournaments following the US Open.
Sinner is set to defend his title at the China Open in Beijing at the end of September, while Alcaraz will be doing the same at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
