Darren Cahill explains why Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz comparisons are ‘unfair’

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz currently occupy the top two spots in the ATP rankings, respectively.

Their most recent clash at Roland Garros was epic. Many believe the final – which lasted over five hours – joined the list of the greatest Grand Slam matches of all time.

Following the defeat, Sinner has spoken about where things stand with Alcaraz, and there appear to be no hard feelings between the two young stars.

Now, Darren Cahill, who has coached Sinner since 2022, has weighed in on the growing hype around the pair and why he thinks it’s a bit much.

Darren Cahill explains why Sinner and Alcaraz comparisons are unfair

Cahill, who has helped guide Sinner to three major titles since joining his team, is stepping away from his coaching role at the end of the season. But before he does, he had plenty to say about the expectations being placed on the two brightest young stars in tennis.

Speaking on the Served with Andy Roddick podcast, Cahill was asked about the frequent comparisons between Sinner, Alcaraz and the sport’s previous era of dominance.

While the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry is already delivering must-watch tennis, they’re often weighed against the legacies of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. Cahill made it clear he thinks that’s a tough and unfair bar to reach.

He explained:

“I struggle a little bit to start comparing them to what we’ve just had because what we’ve just had I think it’s the biggest domination that we’ve seen in tennis with Federer, Novak and Rafa, so I think it’s unfair on Carlos and Jannik, especially to start saying, these two guys are going to walk straight into the shoes of those three amazing players the greatest of all time.”

Cahill believes Sinner and Alcaraz still have plenty to prove, but he did note that both players have benefited from growing up in the era of legends.

“They know how big the shoes are,” he said. “They’ve got the benefit of being able to study these guys for the last 10 years… getting to their teenage years, they’ve been able to closely watch these guys and play practice with them.”

Cahill pointed out that while Sinner and Alcaraz have a head start, others – like Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, and Holger Rune – are closing the gap fast.

“You’re not going to have the runaway domination that we had for 15 years with three players,” Cahill said, noting that even Andy Murray made it a “big four” for a stretch.

“At the moment, these two guys, they’re trailblazing a new style of tennis… they hit the ball so damn hard and they rarely miss. The scary thing is, when they’re playing well, they’re actually playing with margin.”

“They’re making the really, really difficult look pretty simple, and that’s what greatness is about.”

• READ MORE: Jannik Sinner reacts after achieving record previously held by Federer, Djokovic and two other icons

How did Sinner and Alcaraz compare to the Big Three at 23?

Sinner, now 23, has captured three Grand Slam titles. Alcaraz, a year younger, already has five majors to his name, putting him in rare company for his age.

While Cahill doesn’t love the comparisons, there’s no denying the numbers draw some interesting parallels. Rafael Nadal had won six Grand Slams before turning 24, while Roger Federer had five, and Novak Djokovic had two.

Here’s how the numbers stack up before turning 24:

The next major on the calendar is Wimbledon, where Alcaraz is the two-time defending champion.

If he lifts the trophy again this summer, he’ll join Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg on six career Grand Slam titles, with plenty of time left to chase many more.