"Very tough to beat" - Jannik Sinner praises 'dangerous' Carlos Alcaraz after his US Open exit, says it's tough to find weaknesses in Spaniard's game
Jannik Sinner recently showered praise on his rival Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner is currently in contention for the 2024 US Open title in New York and is in the tournament's second week.
The World No. 1 defeated Australia's Christopher O'Connell 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday, August 31, to secure a berth in the fourth round. He notably smashed 15 aces and 46 winners to seal the win in less than two hours.
The Italian's rival Carlos Alcaraz endured a contrasting fate in New York as he suffered an upset at the hands of Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
In his post-match press conference on Saturday, Sinner was prompted to describe Alcaraz as an opponent in the aftermath of the shocking outcome. The Italian spoke highly of the World No. 3 mentioning his defense, movement, and power on the court.
"It's tough to get the ball past him. He's moving so good. Also the serve has improved a lot. You know, he plays with a very high percentage of first serves. He can mix up the return position. It's very dangerous when he plays the forehand when he has time," Jannik Sinner said.
He then acknowledged Zandschulp's valiant effort, saying:
"So there are many, many great things. Obviously, you know, he has been No. 1 in the world and winning multiple Grand Slams, so it's tough to find weaknesses from these kind of players. And also mentally, no? He's a huge competitor, very tough to beat. All things considered, whoever wins against him, it's a great, great win."
Sinner has notably played against Alcaraz nine times on the ATP Tour. The two have laid the foundation of an intense rivalry with notable performances against each other.
They most recently met in the semifinals of the 2024 French Open, where Carlos Alcaraz ground out a 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win to take a 5-4 lead in the head to head.
Jannik Sinner faces Tommy Paul in the US Open 4R
Jannik Sinner is pitted against American Tommy Paul in the fourth round of the 2024 US Open. He has faced Paul three times thus far and leads the head-to-head 2-1.
Paul, seeded 14th, overcame a fighting opponent in the form of Canada's Gabriel Diallo in the third round on Saturday. It took two tiebreakers and four sets for Paul to complete a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-1, 7-6(3) win and advance to the fourth round.
For both Jannik Sinner and Tommy Paul, it will be a second successive appearance in the fourth round of the New York Major. The winner of the match will take on either fifth seed Daniil Medvedev or Nuno Borges in the quarterfinals.