Marin Cilic picks who he prefers to watch play tennis out of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, ‘I like his style better’

Follow us on Google Discover

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are predicted to be the two of the players to lead the ATP Tour over the coming decade.

Sinner is currently banned from tennis, but is now into the final month of his suspension as he looks to return in May.

The Italian Open will be where the world number one returns, and Sinner has already trained with Jack Draper in a bid to prepare from this.

While Sinner has been absent from the ATP Tour, Alcaraz has won the Monte Carlo Masters and reached the final of the Barcelona Open.

Marin Cilic explains why he prefers to watch Carlos Alcaraz over Jannik Sinner

With Sinner being unable to compete since winning the Australian Open title back in January, it has enabled Alcaraz to climb to the top of the race to the ATP Finals so far in 2025.

As the anticipation rises ahead of Sinner’s scheduled return next month, former US Open champion Marin Cilic was asked by Punto de Break who he prefers to watch out of the world number one and Alcaraz.

Seemingly without any hesitation, Cilic chose Alcaraz and was asked to elaborate on why he prefers the Spaniard.

“I like his style better, an aggressive player, very athletic and with impressive creativity,” explained Cilic.

While Sinner may have been at the top of the ATP rankings for longer, it is Alcaraz who has the higher calibre achievements at just 21-years-old with four Grand Slam titles to his name.

Alcaraz also has the advantage in the head-to-head against Sinner and was the only player last year to beat the Italian more than once.

Marin Cilic says if he has any concerns about Carlos Alcaraz’s consistency

While Alcaraz has already achieved so much at a young age, there have been some concerns about his consistency.

These were recently raised when Alcaraz lost to David Goffin at the Miami Open, before he returned to the clay court season in style.

However, Cilic admitted that he does not have these concerns for Alcaraz, claiming that he does not need to win every tournament to prove his talent.

“Not at all,” said Cilic. “It’s all down to his always-so-creative play. Players this aggressive always opt for maximum speed; it feels similar to driving an F1 car.

“They don’t need to win every race, but I find it incredibly difficult to show that creativity playing at that speed. For Carlos, having that style of play is both a gift and a curse.”

Cilic continued his Formula One analogy further, suggesting that his consistency will develop over time if he continues the way that he is.

“When you watch him play, it’s as if he needs to be constantly creating something new,” added Cilic. “He’s the complete opposite of that driver who always drives safely and makes sure he finishes second or third.

“That type knows when to slow down, it makes it easier, but creative players like Carlos are different. When you watch him play, it’s impressive, so I’m not worried at all; he’ll continue to develop appropriately.”

Next up on the schedule for Alcaraz is the Madrid Open, where he is a two-time champion.

However, there have been some concerns for Alcaraz after he revealed that he would undergo a scan ahead of his home Masters 1000 tournament, as he appeared to be hampered in his Barcelona Open final defeat against Holger Rune.