Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Alcaraz’s coach, compared the effect Jannik Sinner is having on Alcaraz to the time that Novak Djokovic rose to the top to challenge Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

The former world number one clarified that, similar to Djokovic’s victory at the 2023 ATP Finals, Sinner’s success is giving Alcaraz more motivation.

Alcaraz has had tremendous success in his career thus far, winning two Grand Slam championships and making history as the youngest player to hold the top spot in the ATP rankings following his victory at the 2022 US Open.

The 20-year-old Spanish player has gone through a more trying time after his incredible victory at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in July, which was his most recent trophy. Following his All England Club triumph at the Cincinnati Masters in August, the world No. 2 advanced to his lone final.

Sinner has enjoyed the best run of his career thus far and has reached a new level since the beginning of Alcaraz’s decline. Sinner finished the previous year’s ATP Finals in Turin as the runner-up, won championships in Beijing and Toronto, and led Italy to a Davis Cup victory. Sinner had also advanced to the semifinals of Wimbledon.

The Italian won the Australian Open last month to earn his first major championship, and he won the Rotterdam Open last week, showcasing his incredible form entering 2024. This week, the 22-year-old, who has won 15 straight matches, rose to a career-high ranking of world No. 3.

Alcaraz lost to Nicolas Jarry in the Argentina Open semifinals last week, following his defeat by Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open quarterfinals.

READ MORE: The coach of Carlos Alcaraz praises Novak Djokovic for his flexibility as he challenges Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal

Ferrero was questioned in an interview with La Nacion if Sinner’s “explosion” served as a warning to Alcaraz or as an additional source of inspiration.

“We knew this moment was coming; Sinner has been knocking on the door for a long time, and we watched him play tennis to win Grand Slams,” the 2003 French Open winner said. “We already saw Sinner working extremely effectively two years ago.”

Given that he was a very skinny player, there may have been some physical uncertainty at first, but as he developed and trained, he succeeded. Like Carlos, he is a player to watch in every tournament and a serious contender for victory.

“I believe that his arrival resembled that of Rafa and Roger, who together were pushing the automobile until Novak entered the scene and is now sort of pushing Carlos and Sinner.

“I asked Carlos if he had witnessed it when Novak used that level to win the Masters (ATP Finals) last year. To get to Novak’s level, we now need to train like animals. We have to do it, and Jannik will do it. “Yes, yes, yes, let’s go with everything,” was his response to me.