Alexander Zverev chooses Jannik Sinner over Carlos Alcaraz – “In terms of tennis, he is the best in the world”

As the young stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz captured attention in 2024, Alexander Zverev was the player who came closest to dominating the next generation. The German finished the year as world No. 2, ahead of Alcaraz, despite having a season that fell short compared to the Spaniard's.

Zverev was the closest competitor to both Alcaraz and Sinner in 2024, reaching the final of the French Open, winning the Masters 1000 titles at the Rome Open and Paris Masters, and making appearances in several semifinals of major tournaments, including Miami, Cincinnati, the Australian Open, and the ATP Finals.

“I’ve known him since he was a young boy”

Meanwhile, the Italian Sinner finished the year as the undisputed No. 1, with an outstanding season of 73 wins and only 6 losses, along with 8 titles, including his first Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open, plus 3 additional Masters 1000 titles. On the other hand, Alcaraz claimed four titles, including the Channel Slam at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

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Sinner's dominance in 2024 had one major hurdle: his biggest rival so far, Alcaraz. The Spaniard won all three encounters between them this season, handing Sinner half of his six losses in 2024.

First, Alcaraz triumphed in the semifinals of Indian Wells in March, winning 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 on his way to the title. Similarly, two months later, Alcaraz defeated Sinner in the semifinals of Roland Garros 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, on his way to winning the French Open. Finally, Alcaraz beat Sinner in the final of the Beijing Open, avenging their semifinal clash in the same tournament the previous year.

Alcaraz defeated Sinner in China Open final by 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3).

Recently, Alexander Zverev reflected on the incredible seasons of Sinner and Alcaraz in an interview with Tennis Magazine, and after observing both players up close, he chose the Italian as the current world No. 1.

“I’ve known him [Sinner] since he was 16 or 17 years old. He trained with Riccardo Piatti near Monte Carlo. Whenever it rained, we went there because there was a hall there. So I’ve known him since he was a young boy at the academy,” Zverev recalled. “In terms of tennis, he absolutely deserves to be number one in the world. He has won two Grand Slam titles, three Masters titles, and the ATP Finals. He is the best player in the world, he has won the most titles.”

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“Carlos is someone I really get on well with. We’ve had some special moments together, playing the biggest matches against each other on the court and spending a bit more time together off the court. That’s what has developed. Every time we play, and every time we’ve played this year, it’s been very high level with a lot of entertainment to watch, and it’s just fun to be on the court with him,” Zverev said.