Carlos Alcaraz says ‘it is crazy what Jannik Sinner is doing’ as he disagrees with what he’s heard about him recently

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Carlos Alcaraz will look to bounce back from his somewhat disappointing Australian Open by enjoying a lengthy run at the Rotterdam Open.

Alcaraz takes on Botic van de Zandschulp in round one, in what is a rematch of the 2024 US Open second round, which the Dutchman won.

Spanish star Alcaraz is making his tournament debut at the Rotterdam Open, where he is the number one seed.

It comes after the withdrawal of world number one Jannik Sinner, who is taking time to rest after winning the Australian Open.

Despite the success in Melbourne, Naomi Osaka’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou says Sinner is ‘not above everyone’ at this moment in time.

Carlos Alcaraz thinks ‘crazy’ Jannik Sinner is the best player in the world right now

But speaking in his pre-tournament press conference at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, Alcaraz has taken exception to that verdict.

“Jannik has proven to be the best at the moment, it’s crazy what he’s doing,” said the Spaniard. “I understand that people argue about who is the best between us two, but for me and for the tennis players who play against him, Jannik is definitely the strongest.

READ MORE: The three players who have beaten Jannik Sinner since he became world number one as he plays 50th match

“I don’t agree with what Mouratoglou said. Jannik will have lost 4/5 matches in a year, he has no ups and downs. In every tournament he participates in he either reaches the final or lifts the trophy.”

Mouratoglou has since reacted to the comments from Alcaraz, with the former coach of Serena Williams simply writing on X: “Classic.”

Carlos Alcaraz says Jannik Sinner is ‘smart’ to withdraw from Rotterdam Open

Sinner unsurprisingly wants to take a brief pause after his run in Melbourne, which ended with a final win over Alexander Zverev.

Alcaraz, in contrast, will be looking to recover from his quarter-final exit, which came against 10-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.

READ MORE: What Jannik Sinner has done better than every single ATP number one in history after winning the Australian Open

Sinner’s withdrawal has certainly opened the door for a new champion, with the Italian having won the competition last year.

Grigor Dimitrov has also withdrawn from the event, while Alcaraz has shared his understanding of Sinner’s decision.

“Sinner’s withdrawal? I understand, I know how difficult it is to stay healthy after a Slam where you go all the way,” he added. “I guess he didn’t feel ready to play another tournament so soon, which was smart.”