Last year, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner pulled away from the rest of the field on the ATP Tour.
The ‘new two’, as they have been dubbed, split all four major titles between them for a second season in a row, and topped the ranking with points tallies north of 10,000.
Alcaraz’s rivalry with Sinner has been an enthralling one, though there were fears in 2025 that it was becoming slightly one-sided in favour of the former, particularly after his US Open triumph.
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This season has certainly not helped the case, with the Italian falling in the semifinals of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open, while the Spaniard has gone undefeated.
Ahead of the Indian Wells Open, where both are scheduled to feature, former world number three David Ferrer was asked if Alcaraz is distancing himself from Sinner in the rivalry.
David Ferrer comments on Carlos Alcaraz’s rivalry with Jannik Sinner
In an interview with Corriere Dello Sport, Ferrer said: “Carlos and Jannik are still very close to me. As we’ve seen in recent seasons, they fuel each other, and that’s how they continue to improve.
“In Australia, Djokovic played very well, even in the final against Alcaraz. We mustn’t forget that he had energy and has won 24 Grand Slam titles: in one-off matches, I’m not surprised he can still compete.
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“That said, I don’t see any players capable of beating Sinner and Alcaraz in Grand Slams; they’re the strongest, especially in the big moments.
“After the Australian Open, Carlos will have more confidence, but already in Indian Wells and Miami, we know that Sinner can play very well.
“Saying who will be stronger between the two is a very difficult prediction, as it was with Roger, Novak, and Rafa.”
David Ferrer asked if Carlos Alcaraz can surpass the major record
Alcaraz’s triumph at the Australian Open saw him increase his major tally to seven, still aged just 22, prompting many fans to wonder if he’ll one day catch Novak Djokovic‘s record of 24.
Asked if he thinks Alcaraz will surpass the Serb’s record, Ferrer said: “I can’t see into the future (laughs).
“Right now, it’s clear that if there are two players who can match the ‘big three’, they’re Alcaraz and Sinner, especially with 10 or 15 years of careers ahead of them.
“But more and more players will arrive, and we don’t know how many will be able to seriously challenge them.”
Alcaraz and Sinner will next be in action at the Indian Wells Open, which is the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
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