Patrick and John McEnroe both noticed exactly what Carlos Alcaraz was doing during the US Open final that really got under the skin of Jannik Sinner.
It was a perfectly executed match from the Spaniard, who was the dominant player throughout despite dropping the second set.
He unsettled the big-hitting 24-year-old, knocking him out of his rhythm with remarkable power and unpredictability.
Carlos Alcaraz varied such thunderous forehand strokes with deft drop shots and lethal slices, all of which contributed to Jannik Sinner’s eventual defeat.
However, the McEnroe brothers came together to pinpoint the specific issue that proved pivotal.
Patrick McEnroe explains how Carlos Alcaraz ‘frustrated’ Jannik Sinner
Speaking live on ESPN midway through the match, it was Patrick who kick-started the analysis.
He argued: “I’m sure this is not a strategy right now that Alcaraz wants, which is to sort of float the ball around a little bit, get into these extended rallies, not because he can’t do it. Of course, he can, but because it may allow Sinner to find that tempo.
“If I were him, I’d just keep going big, especially with the lead. Keep Sinner rattled. You told me Sinner looked frustrated that he hasn’t been able to play up to the level he normally does.”
However, John McEnroe suggested that this is exactly what was unsettling Sinner, noting: “He looks rattled and frustrated that he hasn’t been able to play up to the level he normally does.”
Andy Roddick shared how Alcaraz was feeling right before the US Open final, and it’s clear that this relaxed state helped him cruise to a second title in New York.
Carlos Alcaraz’s sensational serving performance in the US Open final
Whilst Sinner did not perform at the relentlessly consistent level we have become accustomed to, much of that must be owed to Alcaraz’s level.
And, in particular, his serve kept the four-time Grand Slam champion at arm’s length throughout the match, facing just a single break point.
He was the better player and the deserved victor.
If he continues to perform with such consistency across an entire tournament, just like he has at the US Open this year, the number of Grand Slam titles he will rack up could be worrying for the rest of the ATP.
