Former world No 4 Tim Henman has discussed whether any players can compete with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as he shared a concern about the pair’s dominance.
Alcaraz and Sinner have won the last nine Grand Slam titles between them, with the Spaniard securing five and the Italian claiming four.
Last year, the duo met in three consecutive major championship matches at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. This streak ended at the 2026 Australian Open when Sinner lost to Djokovic in the semi-finals.
During an appearance on the Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, Henman was asked if any players can narrow the gap to Alcaraz and Sinner.
“Can someone close the gap? I’m not really seeing it right now,” said the six-time Grand Slam semi-finalist.
“The person who was knocking on the door this time last year was Jack Draper. He played some phenomenal tennis, and I do think he has a game style, big lefty, with the weapons that he’s got, you would like to think that he has a chance.
“He’s got to build up that physical resilience. He has struggled with his body at different stages.
ATP Tour News
Tim Henman reveals the tactics needed to beat Jannik Sinner – but it’s easier said than done
Has Carlos Alcaraz distanced himself from Jannik Sinner? Former world No 3 issues clear verdict
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
“[Alexander] Zverev was disappointing to the end of last year, and actually he’s played some good tennis. He has some weapons that I think if he used properly — his serve is phenomenal, he serves at 75% and he serves big. But I think his court positioning is just too defensive.
“I don’t think you can just beat Sinner or Alcaraz from the back of the court. They’re too athletic, their ball striking is too good, so you’ve got to bring another dimension to the table.
“And who has that extra dimension? The way Djokovic played in Australia in that semi-final was phenomenal, and I don’t think anyone saw that coming, but the way he played so aggressively, taking the ball down the line and not missing, was hugely impressive. But ultimately, he couldn’t sustain that.
“So I think the long answer to your question is I don’t see anyone closing the gap just yet, but I would like to be proved wrong.
“I love Sinner and Alcaraz, they are great players, great guys, but if they are playing in every Grand Slam final, I’m not sure that’s so appealing.”