Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner told their rivalry is ‘not necessarily a healthy thing’ by former Wimbledon champion

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner may not be as good for tennis as many people think according to a Grand Slam champion.

Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated men’s tennis for the past couple of years, with the pair winning the last eight consecutive Grand Slam titles.

This includes playing the last three major finals against each other, which includes Alcaraz’s thrilling French Open victory over Sinner.

As players look to close the gap on Alcaraz and Sinner, 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash has suggested their rivalry may not be the best thing for men’s tennis.

Pat Cash explains why Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry may not be good for men’s tennis

Cash knows what it is like to be competing right at the top of the ATP Tour, as a Grand Slam champion and former world number four.

When speaking about the current state of men’s tennis in an interview with Tennis365, Cash admitted that he does not think the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner is that healthy for the ATP Tour.

Cash claimed that if either Alcaraz or Sinner get knocked out of a tournament early then tournament officials will be ‘worried’ and drew comparison to the WTA Tour.

Despite these claims, Cash admitted that he would like to see Alcaraz and Sinner play in the Australian Open final for the first time this year.

“It’s a two-horse race and I don’t necessarily think it’s a healthy thing,” said Cash. “We want to see those great finals between them and the French Open final set the bench so high that everyone wants to see that. We all want another five-set thriller with points being won from all angles, but that’s not going to happen all the time.

“So it is very much a two horse race and if one of them has a bad day and gets knocked out, the tournament officials are going to be worried. They are all hoping Alcaraz and Sinner get to the final and do what they did at the French Open last year all over again. They are holding their breath that these two guys get through and that’s not necessarily a healthy thing. We look at the WTA Tour and it is wide open, with lots of players who can win the Grand Slam, but it’s not like that with the men at the moment.

“Would I like to see Alcaraz and Sinner in the final of the Australian Open in a few weeks’ time? You bet ya I would. It would be really something.”

Pat Cash suggests five players who could challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

There has been a lot of talk about who can compete with the top two players in men’s tennis right now, with Novak Djokovic struggling against both Sinner and Alcaraz last year.

Cash has actually named Djokovic as a potential threat to Alcaraz and Sinner, as well as Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti and Alexander Bublik, before mentioning Jack Draper, who has withdrawn from the Australian Open due to injury.

“These two are the best in the world, there is no doubt about that” added Cash. “Novak is going to be nipping at their heels for as long as he is playing and then you look at Taylor Fritz and he is pushing to get in there.

“I look at Lorenzo Musetti, who is playing in Hong Kong this week, and he could be one who can get into the mix with the top guys after he did so well last year. The same goes for Bublik, who has all the talent.

“The one I thought should challenge Alcaraz and Sinner was Jack Draper, but he is having his injury problems. He’s the one who has the firepower, but the poor guy has struggled to keep himself on the track, which is a real shame.”

It will be very interesting to see how the first Grand Slam tournament of 2026 plays out, with Alcaraz looking to make history at the Australian Open.

While that is a very realistic possibility for the Spaniard, Alcaraz has been warned he may not win a single Grand Slam title in 2026.