Sinner against Alcaraz: Two paths, one goal – tennis fame

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Both were destined for tennis stardom at an early age and have taken different career paths. Ivan Ljubicic, Roger Federer’s former coach, has now explained why the Italian player is starting to make good on his promise.

While Alcaraz made a splash in 2022 with his breakthrough on the ATP Tour, winning the US Open and finishing the year as world number one, Sinner’s journey was characterized by steady progress, especially in the second half of the 2023 season.

The Italian won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open and defeated both world No. 1 Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the final months of the season. Sinner ended the year at number 4 in the world rankings.

Sinner’s development: persistent work pays off

Ljubicic, who worked with tennis legend Federer from 2016 until his retirement in 2022, believes Sinner had to take important steps to get closer to his goal.

“Jannik is not like Alcaraz, who jumped from 40th to 1st place. He needs his steps,” he told Tuttosport. “I think what he has done in the last two months, the validation of hard work, has brought him closer to his goal.” Sinner reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time this year when he reached the last four at Wimbledon and finished second to Djokovic at the ATP Finals.

He then led Italy to their first Davis Cup title since 1976. Many believe his next step will be a Grand Slam title. When asked about Sinner’s chances of winning a Grand Slam in 2024, Ljubicic replied: “Winning the Davis Cup allows him to go to Australia with real hope.

And he beat every top 10 player. We will see him in dealing with Grand Slams: If you have a day where you feel the pressure, think a lot – and he is very reflective – you can have more problems.” Ljubicic also emphasized Sinner’s strength of character and the support of a capable one Team.

“His strength is his character. He never loses his nerve and is not satisfied. When I became number 3, I thought I had reached the top and began my descent.”