The two players who could stop a Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner US Open final are named by Matteo Berrettini’s old coach

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been a class above in 2025, just as they were in 2024.

Since the beginning of the 2024 season, only two players, Sinner and Alcaraz, have won Grand Slam titles.

The pair have shared the previous seven majors, with Sinner winning four (2024 Australian Open, 2024 US Open, 2025 Australian Open, 2025 Wimbledon), and Alcaraz winning three (2024 French Open, 2024 Wimbledon, 2025 French Open).

Taking their dominance to another level in 2025, Sinner and Alcaraz have contested the previous two major finals against one another.

Many expect the world number one and two to advance to their third consecutive Grand Slam final at the US Open next month, although one top coach has now named the two players he believes could stop them.

Vincenzo Santopadre believes Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton could trouble Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

During an interview with OA Sport, Matteo Berrettini’s former coach, Vincenzo Santopadre, gave his verdict on the likelihood of Sinner and Alcaraz playing each other in a Grand Slam final for the third time in a row.

“[Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz are definitely a step ahead. The most normal thing is to predict a final between them,” he said.

“Even more so when it comes to Grand Slam tournaments, where it’s a matter of playing three sets out of five.”

He did, however, proceed to name two players who could be a ‘nuisance’ to Sinner and Alcaraz.

“That said, there’s always room for a small misstep on either side. It’s always an option. It’s not that they’re aliens in some ways,” said Santopadre.

“You could think of [Taylor] Fritz, given how he arrived last year, who has learned to play well even at home; the [Ben] Shelton of the moment. They could be a nuisance. That’s what comes to mind.

“Of course, given what I’ve said, Sinner and Alcaraz are a step ahead, and so in terms of percentages, it’s easy to predict a meeting between them in the final.”

Fritz and Shelton have both enjoyed success at Flushing Meadows recently and are likely to be in contention during the latter stages of this year’s tournament.

The American duo have yet to reach the heights of Alcaraz and Sinner at the US Open, but have both qualified for the semifinals in New York.

Last time around, Fritz enjoyed a career-best showing at the US Open, losing out to Sinner in the final.

Whether Fritz or Shelton can take the next step and overcome Sinner and Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open remains to be seen, but it will certainly be worth tuning in for.

Santopadre will likely be pulling for his countryman, Sinner, to pick up the win, although he would surely love nothing more than to see the man he once coached, Berrettini, shock the world.

Reflecting on his time with the 29-year-old, Santopadre has shared his biggest regrets from their coaching relationship.

Vincenzo Santopadre regrets not winning Wimbledon with Matteo Berrettini

When Berrettini retires, he will do so as one of the finest grass-court players of his generation.

The Italian star has won four titles on the surface and reached the Wimbledon final in 2021, coming up short against Novak Djokovic in four sets.

Having lost to Djokovic in the 2021 Wimbledon final, Berrettini returned to the grass courts with a point to prove in 2022, picking up two titles before heading to the All England Club.

Entering the tournament as one of the favorites, disaster struck for the number eight seed when he tested positive for COVID-19.

Forced to withdraw from the tournament, Berrettini missed out on his chance to compete, something Santopadre regrets to this day.

“Any regrets? Probably not having done even more with Matteo [Berrettini],” he said.

“I would have liked to see Matteo play at Wimbledon the year he didn’t play due to COVID. It would have been nice to see him compete in the Turin Finals when he retired against [Alexander] Zverev.

“I think in both situations, he had all it took to achieve great results and win both the [ATP] Finals and Wimbledon.”

Unfortunately for Berrettini, he soon began to struggle with injuries and hasn’t been able to rediscover the form he showed back in 2021 and 2022.

Berrettini split with Santopadre in 2023 as the Italian coach went on to join French youngster Luca Van Assche’s team.

Now working as Lorenzo Sonego’s technical consultant, Santopadre will no doubt keep a keen eye on all the Italian stars competing at the US Open when the tournament begins on Sunday, August 24.