Alcaraz And Sinner's Skills Comparable To Tennis 'Big 4', Asserts Simon

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have the potential to match the consistency of tennis legends if they maintain their current form, according to former world number six Gilles Simon. Alcaraz, who won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2022, became the youngest world number one in ATP history at 19 years, four months, and six days. He followed this with a victory at Wimbledon in 2023.

Despite his triumphs, Alcaraz has faced challenges due to an arm injury. His last match before Roland Garros was in the quarter-final of the Madrid Open on May 1. Recently, he defeated J.J. Wolf in straight sets to advance to the second round of the French Open, where he will compete against Jesper De Jong.

Simon, speaking at the Roland-Garros eSeries by Renault tournament, expressed confidence in Alcaraz's abilities. "I think that Alcaraz has the level of the big 3 or big 4 that we've had because he really has a level that's very high," Simon said. "When his tennis is up and running, it's really hard to beat him."

Simon compared Alcaraz to Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer, noting that while Alcaraz has shown flashes of brilliance, he struggles with consistency. "He can't keep it up at the moment, every week, with the consistency that those players have had," Simon added. "But he's young and he's going to keep winning and progressing."

Alcaraz's performance at Roland Garros last year was promising but ultimately ended due to cramp. However, his subsequent win at Wimbledon indicated his potential to reach the level of tennis greats. "He was there over that period, not over ten months for the moment," Simon noted. "I've no doubt he'll be there, but it's going to be complicated."

Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner has had an impressive start to 2024, winning his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open and securing victories in Rotterdam and Miami. Sinner's achievements place him among an elite group of players who have won their first eight Men's Singles Major matches of a season before turning 23.

The Italian also advanced through his opening round at Roland Garros with a straight-sets win over Christopher Eubanks and is set to face Richard Gasquet next on Monday.

Simon offered insights into Sinner's performance: "As far as I'm concerned, [Sinner's] at a slightly lower level than Alcaraz. But his average level is higher than that of Alcaraz." Simon highlighted Sinner's consistency over six months despite injuries at the start of the clay-court season.

"He's been in the final of almost every tournament for six months or a winner," Simon said. "His consistency is reminiscent of that of the Big 4." However, Simon pointed out that Sinner lost a crucial match against Alcaraz at Indian Wells when Alcaraz regained his form.

Both Alcaraz and Sinner have shown promise and potential to reach the heights of tennis legends. Their future performances will determine if they can sustain their current levels and achieve long-term success in the sport.