John McEnroe Speaks Out About Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

In an interview with La Revuelta, John McEnroe speaks candidly about the rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz: their duel has electrified the tennis world in recent years leading up to the unusual 2026 season, when injuries set both stars of the tour back.

“Alcaraz is the best; he’s my favorite player. He’s the best thing that’s happened to tennis in the last ten years,” the American legend said bluntly. “And I’m not just saying that because I’m in Madrid. He’s incredible; we’re really lucky to have him. I’m happy he’s back because, when he was out, tennis was more boring.”

According to the former American tennis player, Rafael Nadal was the one who marked the turning point for Spanish tennis, which continues to produce champions in abundance: “He came out of nowhere and transformed Spanish tennis. I’d watch him and think, ‘How does he do these things? In the United States, it’s been a long time since we’ve won a Grand Slam, while Nadal, on his own, has already won 22. It’s extraordinary.”

On the sidelines of the Laver Cup, speaking to TNT Sports, the former world No. 1 explained that, when both are playing at their best, in his opinion Alcaraz is the better player, though he added that Sinner is “an incredible tennis player” and that, if Carlos isn’t playing his best tennis, Sinner will certainly win. McEnroe had emphasized how the two have pushed each other to improve, fueling a rivalry destined to shape the future of tennis, and had joked about the Italian’s self-control: “Federer or Alcaraz himself have each broken a racket at least once. Sinner? It’s never happened, but sooner or later he’ll break one.”