Patrick Mouratoglou commented on whether Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz is a tougher opponent for Novak Djokovic.
Over the last two years the Serbian has lost his three biggest vials in Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray who have all retired.
But he now has some new rivals in the form of Sinner and Alcaraz, who have emerged as the frontrunners in a new era for men’s tennis.
They overtook Djokovic in 2024 and the Olympic champion desperately wants to respond to the challenge laid down in 2025.
Photo by Mohammed Saad/Anadolu via Getty ImagesPatrick Mouratoglou discusses Novak Djokovic finds it harder to face Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic entered 2023 still the dominant force after winning three of the four majors and finishing the year as the top ranked player for a record eighth time.
But 2024 was far more challenging as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz each defeated him at a major and claimed two Grand Slams each.
Djokovic lost both of his meetings with Sinner this past season, but he defeated Alcaraz in the Olympics final after the Spaniard won their second successive Wimbledon final.
Both players give Djokovic a stern challenge on court, but coach Patrick Mouratoglou has chosen which one the 24-time Grand Slam champion has a harder time trying to beat.
“The challenge is huge because the level of Alcaraz and Sinner is impressive. It might be harder for Novak to beat Sinner than Alcaraz, because Jannik doesn’t give anything away,” the Frenchman told Tennis Majors.
“Sinner has the same skills as Novak, he covers the court very well, he doesn’t miss anything and he takes the ball earlier than Novak. So Novak will have to get back into incredible shape to dominate Sinner. I’m not saying it’s easy to beat Alcaraz, it’s not.”
Photo by RvS.Media/Monika Majer/Getty ImagesWhat is Novak Djokovic’s head-to-head record against Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
Djokovic has played both Sinner and Alcaraz seven times each.
He has won four of his encounters against Alcaraz, including their epic Olympics final to claim a title he had craved for so long.
Alcaraz has won two of their three matches at Grand Slams, both of which came at the Wimbledon Championships.
The 21-year-old won a five-set thriller in 2023 before producing a dominant straight sets victory in 2024.
On the other hand, Djokovic has lost four of his meetings against Sinner, including a defeat in the Australian Open semi-finals.
This was Djokovic’s first loss at Melbourne Park since 2018, while Sinner went on to win the title, his first Grand Slam title.
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