John McEnroe claims that Carlos Alcaraz and Giannik Thinner’s tennis levels are so high that he will be his favorite to beat Rafael Nadal “at his best.”
Alcaraz and the Sinner delivered one of the best finals of all time at the French Open on Sunday as the Spaniards won their fifth grand slam out of their rivals in a five-set thriller. The 23-year-old Alkaraz elder, the sinner, already has two slams in his name, and the pair has won seven of the last eight majors.
Nadal continued to claim 22 major titles (including Roland Garros’ record 14) in a notable career that ended last November.
However, McEnroe told TNT Sports:
“Do you think you’ll get to one of 20 or 24 titles? No. I think Plateau is very difficult. I think it’s almost impossible. There’s more depth to the game, bigger batsmen, and more.
“But these two guys are like people who now look at the NBA and say they’re not better than Michael Jordan. The tennis levels right now are higher than I’ve ever seen.”
In the first major final between two men born in the 2000s, Alcaraz saved three match points on his way to a 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) victory and continued his control over the sinners. He also finished 20 Italian matches in the Grand Slam.
“I’m so happy to be able to make history with you in this tournament,” Alkaraz told Sinner.
“I’m sure you’ll be a champion once and again, and it’s a privilege to share the courts with you in every tournament and make history with you.”
