Boris Becker has named three players he thinks have not stepped up during Jannik Sinner’s suspension.
The ATP Tour was rocked when the World number one was banned for three months after testing positive for clostebol.
The suspension commenced in February and Sinner is set to return to the game on May 4, in time for his home tournament, the Italian Open.
Fans were keen to see which players would take advantage of Sinner’s absence, but the six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker spoke on those who he thinks have not made the most of the opportunity.
Boris Becker names three players he thinks have ‘vanished’ since Jannik Sinner’s suspension
Jannik Sinner has not played since defending the Australian Open title in January.
Despite his absence from the circuit over the past two months, the Italian still maintains a healthy lead of 2,685 points at the top of the ATP rankings.
No players around him have taken the chance to move closer to Sinner, and Becker mentioned three players in particular that he expected more from.
“For more than 15 years, one of the three, or both, were in the final. Then we thought, okay, that’s normal, because they’re much better than the rest. It was like that too,” Becker said.
“Federer stops, Nadal stops last year. And we thought, ‘yes, [Daniil] Medvedev, [Alexander] Zverev, [Andrey] Rublev, [Casper] Ruud the generation is now taking over’. Who takes over now?
“Jannik Sinner played one tournament this year. The others now have played five or six. But what did they do? The difference [At the top of the rankings] has grown.
“Although Sinner won Miami last year and lost a thousand points. He played one tournament, so to speak, and won 2000 points [in Melbourne] and is therefore number one. Of course, his class also says that, but also the fact that the others are weakening.
“Why does an Alcaraz weaken? Where is Medvedev? Medvedev has vanished from the top 10. Rublev lost the first round again. Where is Rune? I think we are in a reorientation.
“Who is the leading player in world tennis? There I see Sinner, there I see Alcaraz. Then with a little distance. Now the chance is there [For other players to win titles].
“You had the three supergoats, you don’t have them anymore. Maybe Djokovic is still there. Now, you have the chance to make history. Now you can get to the final. So what is the problem? It is ultimately because of your own weakness.”
What are Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune’s 2025 results?
Daniil Medvedev, usually a model of consistency, has struggled so far in 2025.
The Russian has just made just two semi-finals this season, as Medvedev was knocked out of the Australian Open in the second round and suffered another opening round loss at the Miami Open.
Holger Rune reached the Indian Wells final, before he was beaten by Jack Draper, but the Dane has not enjoyed much success elsewhere.
Indian Wells marked the only final that Rune reached this season, and he failed to reach the last eight in all his other events.
Following Andrey Rublev’s defeat to Joao Fonseca the Australian Open first round, he reached the semi-finals in Montpellier, a quarter-final in Rotterdam before winning the Qatar Open final.
Since that win, Rublev has lost his last three matches in Dubai, Indian Wells and Miami.
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