Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could be set to meet on the court for one last time in 2025, at the ATP Finals.
The pair have dominated on the ATP Tour this season, winning the four Grand Slams combined, and racking up a total of 13 ATP titles between them.
Those further down the rankings have frequently attempted to usurp the pair, but as Taylor Fritz found out on Tuesday, defeating Alcaraz or Sinner represents a tall task.
Alcaraz won their last ATP Tour match at the US Open, defeating the Italian 6–2, 3–6, 6–1, 6–4.
Sinner struggled on serve during the contest, making only 48 per cent of his first serves and winning 69 per cent of those points.
For comparison, Alcaraz made 61 per cent of his first serves and won 83 per cent of those points.
However, since then, Sinner has demonstrated consistent improvement on his serve. For example, in his first ATP Finals match against Felix Auger-Aliassime, Sinner made 71 per cent of his first serves, winning a staggering 89 per cent of those points.
So, who has the better serve out of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
Patrick Mouratoglou picks Carlos Alcaraz’s serve over Jannik Sinner’s
Patrick Mouratoglou, the former coach of Serena Williams, has compared the major shots of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Mouratoglou, who recently named the player who has the best backhand in tennis history, said on Instagram: “Serve – Carlos. With his height, he is opening the court incredibly well. He serves fast, unbelievable second serve and he can hit any spot.
“Movement east-west – Carlos. North-south – Jannik.
“Forehand – Carlos. Power, spin; can hit a winner from any place on the court.
“Backhand – Jannik. I mean, crazy consistent. Masters the down-the-line incredibly well and finds the short cross also incredibly well.
“Net game – Carlos Alcaraz. Carlos comes to the net so much more than Jannik, and he’s so efficient there.
“Drop shot – Carlos. He’s probably the world master by far.
“Mental – Jannik and Carlos. Jannik for the quality of his focus, which is unbelievable. And Carlos for the fire that he has.”
Alcaraz and Sinner could meet in the ATP Tour Finals, with the potential winner likely deciding who will finish the year as the world number one.
Sinner, who defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in his opening match, faces Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton in his final two round robin matches.
After defeating Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz, Alcaraz will face Lorenzo Musetti in his final round robin match in Turin, Italy.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s recent serving performances
In recent memory, Jannik Sinner has outperformed Carlos Alcaraz on serve.
The Italian, as per Sofascore, has made an average of 72 per cent of his first serves across his past five matches.
He has won 86.2 per cent of those points, and 60 per cent of his second serve points.
Comparatively, Alcaraz has made 63.1 per cent of his first serves across his last five matches, winning 68.3 per cent of those points.
The Spaniard has outperformed Sinner in the ace category, serving an average of six per match compared to Sinner’s five.
However, Alcaraz has averaged more double faults over his last five matches: 2.2 to Sinner’s one.
