Rafael Nadal has analysed Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s games and highlighted a key difference between the pair ahead of their 2025 US Open final blockbuster.
Sinner and Alcaraz‘s rivalry has reached stratospheric heights in recent months, and the US Open showdown between the top two ATP players will be their fifth consecutive meeting in a final at tournaments they have entered.
Alcaraz defeated Sinner in straight sets in the Rome Masters final before overcoming the Italian again in a staggering five-set French Open title match in which he came back from two sets down and saved three championship points.
A month after his heartbreaking defeat in Paris, Sinner gained revenge with a four-set victory over Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final. Alcaraz then lifted the Cincinnati Masters title after Sinner was forced to retire due to illness in the opening set of the final.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz are aiming to win their second US Open titles, and the champion will hold the world No 1 position when the ATP Rankings update next week.
In an interview with The Athletic, Nadal gave his assessment of Sinner and Alcaraz.
“He (Sinner) puts a rhythm on the forehand that is very difficult to follow,” assessed Nadal, who won 22 Grand Slam titles. “He’s very quick on picking the ball early and he’s quick on the transition from defending to attacking.
“Carlos is more magic, he’s more unpredictable, he can play at a level that probably sometimes Jannik cannot. But at the same time, he’s making more mistakes, too – he can play better, but he can play worse, and it’s about finding the balance.
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“Carlos has all the shots, sometimes he’s making mistakes, but he’s going for the shots and it’s more amazing to see because, at the end, it’s more unexpected and unpredictable.
“I like it, it’s very funny to see Carlos play because he’s able to produce amazing things and at the same time, he’s able to have mistakes, and that’s human.
“From my point of view, Carlos can improve a little bit [on] the tactical way to approach some matches. Sometimes it feels like he always plays for every big shot, and sometimes, he doesn’t need that much.
“That’s why I’m interested in how they evolve, because I think both of them have room to improve, and they are so good.”
The former world No 1 also shared his thoughts on Alcaraz and Sinner’s epic French Open final.
“The match was unbelievable because it was super emotional at the end,” Nadal said.
“For me, the first three sets were not that high-quality tennis. It was a normal final. Then, fourth and fifth sets were a high-quality fight.
“That’s from my point of view, talking about if I had to play against them. The fourth and fifth sets were super, super high-level tennis, emotional, had a little bit of everything. Before, for me, I think Carlos didn’t play at his level. From my perspective, I think he was a little bit wrong tactically.
“Jannik, of course, he was unlucky up 0-40, but when he had the chance to go for it, I think he was not playing with the right determination.
“I think he stopped doing what he was doing good — going for the shots and playing with this extra speed on the ball at the moment that he had to take advantage. He didn’t play as aggressive as he was doing before.
“But overall, if we put the full picture, the final was unforgettable. It was amazing. The end of the match was one of the most emotional that I saw and I was lucky to see that as a fan from home.”
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