By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, July 11, 2025
Photo credits: Jon Buckle/ROLEX
Confronting reigning Grand Slam champions Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in a major is a devastating degree of difficulty.
US Open finalist Taylor Fritz has faced the the world’s top two players in Grand Slams and offered unique insight into the similarities and differences of the two superstars.
Together, reigning US Open and Australian Open champion Sinner and Roland Garros and Wimbledon winner Alcaraz have combined to capture the last six straight Grand Slam championships.
World No. 1 Sinner will square off against two-time Wimbledon winner Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final on Sunday at 11 a.m. Eastern time (4 p.m. London time).
After bowing to Alcaraz in a fierce four-setter in today’s semifinals, Fritz, who fell to Sinner in the US Open final last September, was asked to compare the challenges each man represents.
The fifth-seeded Fritz said Sinner is an “unbelievable” ball striker, while Alcaraz is the most “unpredictable” player in the sport.
“I’d say I felt pretty comfortable from the ground with Jannik when we played in Turin. I think Jannik typically has a bigger serve, so it’s tougher to get in on his return games,” Fritz said after losing to Alcaraz 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(6) in today’s first semifinal. “For me, from the ground I think I had more success rallying and playing with Jannik because he plays a bit flatter, and it’s a little bit more predictable. He’s unbelievable at what he does playing from the baseline.
“I think Carlos is a little more unpredictable with the slicing and the coming to net and the dropshots. Carlos has a lot of different ways to play.
“I also think Carlos, one thing he does, when he whips his forehand cross, there’s a lot of movement away, which is difficult. Jannik is more through the court, which for some people… Just depends who you’re playing.”
Rocking the red clay with fearless drives, Alcaraz fought off three championship points, battled back from a two-set deficit for the first time in his life and out-dueled Sinner 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) to successfully defend his Roland Garros title in a dazzling and epic final last month.
The longest French Open final in history was a five hour, 29-minute thrill ride that will go down as a match for the ages.
Prior to that final, Hall of Famer Andre Agassi summed up the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry as “the best pure ball striker versus the flying saucer.”
Today, Fritz said both champions generate massive “raw power” and suggested he’d probably prefer playing the world No. 1—primarily because Alcaraz’s speed and versatility is so unsettling.
“For me personally, I’d rather probably deal with the flat one than the ball that’s working away from me,” Fritz said. “They both generate a lot of just, like, raw power. But I think for me it’s a little more uncomfortable to play Carlos just because of the unpredictability of what he’s going to do.
“I think I play a lot off of anticipation. You never know what Carlos might just hit like a short kicker and serve and volley on like a 15-30 or something like that, which I feel like if I’m playing Jannik, that’s something that’s probably not going to happen.”
The greatest similarity between the world’s top two?
The 27-year-old Fritz said it’s a major educational experience to face either champion in a Grand Slam match.
“Every time I play these guys, I learn a lot about what I need to do to improve and get better,” Fritz said. “Moving ahead, I just want to keep working on the things that are going to get me better, that are going to help me compete with these guys because at the end of the day, my ultimate goal is to win a slam. I think I’m going to have to at some point beat these guys to do it. It’s obviously a tough ask.
“Like I said, if I keep putting myself in these situations and playing them, I learn more about my game and what I need to do differently and what I need to do better to get to that level.”
