Carlos Alcaraz was unequivocal about Jannik Sinner after taking his throne in Vienna

Carlos Alcaraz won the Vienna tournament for the first time, claiming a title that his rival Jannik Sinner had already won twice before, most recently last season. After his decisive victory in the final against Alex De Minaur, the Murcia native spoke about the South Tyrolean and the possibility of a new duopoly between the two of them in 2027.

“I don’t like to say that in 2027 it’ll be me, Jannik, and then everyone else,” he said at a press conference. “Let’s see who’s there. Sascha showed us what he’s capable of this year. He was the best player; let’s see if he continues to do the great things he’s done this year in 2027 as well.”

The other finalist, Alex De Minaur, explained why it’s so difficult to beat the two stars: “Both Carlos and Jannik are able to constantly improve on those small weaknesses—if you can even call them that—that they used to have. They manage to improve in those areas, and that makes it even harder to play against them.”

Now the focus shifts to the Paris Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals in Turin in mid-November. Alcaraz has already secured his spot in the Masters tournament, as have Medvedev, Zverev, and Ben Shelton. This will be his fourth appearance: his best result was last year’s final, which he lost to Sinner. The final four spots are still up for grabs through the Race, with Flavio Cobolli still in contention but doubtful after the injury he suffered in Vienna during the derby against Matteo Berrettini.