The new, highly anticipated 2025 tennis season has just begun, and the duel will still be between the two of them: between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (much will also depend on any ban that the Italian will receive after the Clostebol doping scandal).
ADVERTISEMENT
Vincenzo Santopadre, former coach of Matteo Berrettini, is convinced that 2025 will still be the year of the Spaniard and the Italian. After a season dominated by the two young champions, in which the two tennis players shared a good part of the most important tournaments, for the Italian coach the new year will still be marked by the rivalry that inflames the men's Tour, waiting for new talents to emerge.
In an interview with the Italian newspaper Tuttosport, Santopadre expressed his opinion on the Sinner-Alcaraz dualism, explaining what the Italian's strengths are compared to the 21-year-old from Murcia.
"The next one won't be the year of the trinity yet. Two more years, at least. Joao Fonseca, to name one. Talent as far as the eye can see, a sea of talent, and he's growing, even rapidly. He has a bit of Jannik and a bit of Carlitos. But he's still a child. You can see it in his eyes, you can see it from certain reactions he has on thecourt. He has a good team, serious people. Give him time, he has to learn everything. If he finishes in the top thirty this year, he'll be ready for the future leap.
ADVERTISEMENT
Alcaraz, on the other hand, is just 21, but he's already won. In fact, he's won a lot. And this changes you inside. He already knows he can afford very high goals, but he has to grow in continuity, and it's always a complex path, very personal," he said.
According to Santopadre, Sinner is much more mature than the Spaniard, as he explained in the interview:
"I saw him train in Dubai. A spectacle. He continues to invest in himself, he has never stopped doing so. He is constantly adding new important details to his game. You will find him improved. It's a question of mentality. His is forged in the hardest mineral there is. He is an alien," he added.
ADVERTISEMENT
Santopadre continued on the rivalry between Carlitos and Jannik, analyzing: "There is a dispute going on between the two. Friendly, but very serious, and it brings into play many aspects of today's tennis. Continuity or talent? Solidity or Ping Pong Tennis? Application, study, planning. There is also the personal challenge. Sinner is thousands of points ahead in the rankings, but he has beaten the other three times. It seems like a promising lineup for a great show. Then, you know, tennis is varied. There will be new additions, some novelties, some important returns. But those two will write the plot."
The Italian coach concluded by making a prediction for next year, explaining: "I don't see any big changes. Sinner is number one for continuity, ahead of Alcaraz, who I think is working in the same direction. I put the Spaniard at number two, but closer to Sinner in the score. Then Zverev, Medvedev and in fifth place Rublev, because I like him, he's a very good guy and very nice."
