Jim Courier offers advice to Jannik Sinner: “I hope he follows in Carlos Alcaraz’s footsteps”

Jim Courier, a former world No. 1 who won two Australian Opens and two French Opens during his career, never managed to win in New York but believes that one of his two compatriots who reached the US Open semifinals could actually do it:  “With Shelton and Tiafoe, the U.S. really has a chance to win.”

““We’ve seen two extraordinary athletes, but Shelton has improved a lot on his return; he’s learned to return by taking up more of the court, and that gives him an advantage in prolonging the rally,” he told Supertennis. “Then there’s his net play, and he’s improved tremendously there as well compared to two years ago. Finally, there’s the serve, which remains the foundation of his game, but you can’t beat Alcaraz with just the serve; you have to find a way to break him, and Shelton managed to do that. Shelton also has something that’s hard to teach. He’s hungry and isn’t afraid of the match’s key moments; he’s a braver player, one who’s willing to take more risks.”

After wrapping up his remarks on the U.S. players, Courier dedicated a message to Jannik Sinner, the notable absentee from the season’s final Grand Slam: “We were pleasantly impressed and relieved to see Alcaraz play so well. We hope the same will be true for Sinner when we see him return after his knee problems: we want to see these champions, and we want them healthy, so they can continue their quest to become the best of all time.”