Follow us on Google Discover Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have proven themselves to be streets ahead of everyone else on tour this year.
The top two-ranked players in the world have collected a combined 11 titles in 2025 and have split all four Grand Slams between themselves for the second consecutive season.
Alcaraz went back-to-back at Roland Garros and clinched his second US Open title, while Sinner defended his Australian Open crown and secured a maiden Wimbledon championship.
In the ATP rankings, both the Spaniard and the Italian are at least 4000 points clear of world number three Alexander Zverev, and they are the only two players to qualify for the year-end ATP Finals so far.
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With no sign of a rising star capable of reaching their level anytime soon, Alcaraz and Sinner look set to dominate men’s tennis for the foreseeable future.
There is one player, however, who British tennis legend Tim Henman thinks has the best chance of closing the gap on the ‘new two’.
Tim Henman names the closest ATP player to the ‘new two’
Speaking on Netflix ahead of the semifinals at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, Henman said Taylor Fritz is the next best outside of Sinner and Alcaraz.
He said of the American: “He works with Paul Annacone and Mike Russell. Paul Annacone was an old coach of mine.
“I think it’s just about trying to bring that extra string to his bow. He’s so efficient on serve and at the back of the court, both forehand and backhand, but [now he needs to] try to finish a few points at the net when he’s so aggressive from those ground strokes.
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“He’s brought in the drop shot a little bit, which I think again is good to get the opponents moving forward to backwards, not just side to side.
“So I think he’s one of these players who’s always looking to improve. That has been reflected in his results, and I think he’s the one who’s most likely to close the gap between the top two.”
Taylor Fritz’s record against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Fritz ultimately lost his semifinal against Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam, but he has picked up victories against both the world number one and Sinner in the past.
At the Laver Cup, he claimed his first win over the six-time major champion to clinch two points for Andre Agassi-led Team World.
His sole win against Sinner came at the 2021 Indian Wells Open, where he triumphed in straight sets at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Since then, however, Fritz has lost all four of his meetings with Sinner, the most recent of which was the final of the 2024 ATP Finals.
He also trails Alcaraz 3-1 in the ATP head-to-head and has lost to him twice this year.