Jannik Sinner, renowned coach’s comparison divides fans

Waiting to embark on his adventure at the Masters 1000 to be held in Madrid, Jannik Sinner attended the Laureus World Sports Awards 2026 ceremony where Carlos Alcaraz was honored as Sportsman of the Year. On the sidelines of the prestigious event, Boris Becker gave an interview to Eurosport talking about the rivalry between the South Tyrolean and the Murcian champion.

“I think right now Sinner is playing his best tennis. I have never seen him as strong as he is now. Winning the Sunshine Double and then coming back to Europe on clay, winning in Monte Carlo without losing a set is incredible. He’s in top form and I think he could win in Madrid as well, especially now that Alcaraz is injured.”

Becker, who holds the record as the youngest winner in the history of the men’s Wimbledon tournament, then advanced a comparison: “I consider Sinner a Djokovic 2.0, he has a similar style from the back court, is very consistent and often wins matches quickly. Alcaraz usually loses a set and has to play for three hours, doing so puts a strain on his physique, while Sinner wins sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. This saves his energy, a factor that is greatly beneficial in the long run.”

The German coach’s comparison has generated a great deal of debate on social media, and not all of Jannik Sinner’s fans agree with his words. Even Patrick Mouratoglou recently had his say via an Instagram vide: “Everyone compares Jannik Sinner to Novak Djokovic for pretty obvious reasons like playing style but no one compares him to the one who I think should be compared on a mentality level: Rafael Nadal. They both have something in common that is incredible and very rare: the ability to play every single shot from January 1 to December 31 with 100 percent commitment, concentration and intensity. It is very rare.”