Carlos Alcaraz is one of the best young players in tennis history, but John Isner thinks he will improve even further.
Alcaraz burst onto the scene as a teenager. At 19, he won his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open, overcoming Casper Ruud in the final to become a worldwide star.
Although talented young stars have existed in the sport’s history, Alcaraz’s game is uniquely complete. His variety, including superb drop shots and volleys, might be the best in the sport right now.
Despite that, Isner does not believe the four-time Grand Slam champion had reached his peak yet. Speaking on the Nothing Major Podcast, Isner said Alcaraz’s best tennis might not be seen for another five years.
“I don’t think this is what we are going to see for the next five to eight years. It is easy to forget that he is still only 21 years old. His best tennis is, you can argue in all likelihood, is five years from now.”
“He hasn’t even reached his peak. He is still so young and has so much maturing to do even though he is so ridiculously good and has won all these Grand Slams already at 21 years old.”
Players in the modern game often peak later in their careers than previously. That is an ominous sign for Alcaraz’s rivals since he is already so good. Getting even better might make it impossible for some players to win Grand Slams.
Jannik Sinner’s development since the beginning of 2024 shows how rapid improvements are possible. Although he was talented from a young age, the Italian had not won a Grand Slam before 2024.
Since then, Sinner has won two Australian Opens, the 2024 US Open, the 2024 ATP Finals, and reached world No. 1. He overtook Novak Djokovic at the summit after the 2024 French Open and has remained there since.
Many think Alcaraz vs Sinner could be the biggest ATP rivalry for the next decade or more. Their similar ages (Sinner is 23 and Alcaraz 21) and how epic matches between them usually are makes that very possible.
Some of the pair’s incredible battles include five-set matches at the 2022 US Open and 2024 French Open, Alcaraz outlasting his rival in the 2024 China Open final, and Sinner winning their first Grand Slam meeting at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
However, fans must wait until at least May to see them battle again. Sinner is suspended until May 4th after settling his doping case with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He accepted a three-month ban in return for WADA not taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Although Sinner’s absence in the next couple of months is a shame, he risked being banned for 12 months if the CAS ruling went against him, despite WADA not disputing he was accidentally contaminated and the world No. 1 being sure of his innocence.
Sinner’s lawyer, Jamie Singer, admitted it was challenging to convince him to accept the three-month ban since the three-time Grand Slam champion felt he would win the CAS appeal hearing.
