L ast week, shortly after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played the point of the year so far – exchanges of 80mph cross-court forehands; Sinner hooking the ball back from behind him; Alcaraz falling and recovering; the kind of exquisite drop shots and physics‑defying sliding we’ve come to expect from both; and, finally, a triumphant Sinner whipping up the crowd after a fruitless dive from Alcaraz left the Spaniard sprawled and breathless on Miami’s Hard Rock court – their colleagues took to social media in adoration and disbelief. “Guys, are you from this planet?” and “What in the alien”, posted Aryna Sabalenka and Bianca Andreescu of the other-worldly efforts. “Absolute insanity” was the verdict of Jessica Pegula while John Isner wrote: “Tennis is in good hands.” Sinner, who is 21, and Alcaraz, 19, are, along with Denmark’s Holger Rune, also 19, electrifying the ATP Tour in a way unseen since three certain other players.
That Alcaraz is Spanish makes comparison with Rafael Nadal an easy one, and something that Juan Carlos Ferrero, Alcaraz’s coach, has described as unhelpful.
But the youngster and the 14-times French Open winner do have history: they first met when Alcaraz was 13 and won a title on Nadal’s Junior Tour and they share a mental resilience.
Sinner, an Italian born close to the Austrian border, is calm personified; his maturity has earned comparisons to Roger Federer’s on-court demeanour, and he shares a love of fashion with the Swiss, collaborating with Gucci.