Jannik Sinner: John McEnroe Reiterates His Belief

Legend John McEnroe, on the sidelines of the Laver Cup, spoke once again about the two best tennis players on the planet, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz: “They’re both injured right now; I hope they stay healthy in the future—please stay healthy!”

When asked who is the better player of the two, McEnroe spoke bluntly to TNT Sports: “I think that when both are playing their best, my personal opinion is that Carlos Alcaraz is the better player. Jannik is obviously an incredible player, and if Carlos isn’t playing his best tennis, then Jannik will certainly win.”

This opinion is similar to that of Taylor Fritz, who, also speaking on TNT Sports, included Zverev among the greatest: “Sascha has won two Grand Slams this year; he’s tough to beat. I guess we’ll see at the ATP Finals at the end of the year, but I think that when Carlos plays his best, it’s Carlos, and then Sinner—before his injury—was extremely dominant earlier this year.”

Jannik Sinner has announced that he will also skip the Beijing tournament: the Italian hasn’t taken the court since the Wimbledon final in mid-July. His withdrawal from Beijing carries significant weight in terms of the rankings. There are currently 1,370 points separating Sinner from Zverev, who is second in the world rankings, but that gap could narrow significantly in the coming weeks. In the second half of last season, the Italian had in fact racked up an enormous haul: after his triumph in Beijing, he went on to win consecutive titles in Vienna, Paris, and at the ATP Finals, for a total of about 3,000 points to defend. Zverev, on the other hand, earned just 110 points during the 2025 Asian swing, leaving himself ample room for improvement. A potential double victory in Beijing and Shanghai could even allow him to overtake Sinner in the rankings.