ALCARAZ HAS SET THE NEW BENCHMARK, SAYS JANNIK SINNER'S COACH
US Open Loss Sparks Praise For Alcaraz From Sinner’s Coach
Simone Vagnozzi, Jannik Sinner's coach, provided a candid evaluation of his player's performances in Cincinnati and the US Open, emphasizing the loss in New York.
Alcaraz won his sixth major championship at the age of 22 after defeating Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in two hours and forty-two minutes. In their most recent match, Vagnozzi conceded that the Spaniard was better physically and in terms of tennis.
Carlos outplayed the world no. 1 in every category and showed greater variety than him, winning his second US Open championship and ending the rival's 27-match winning run in hard-court Majors.
The Italian found it difficult to force his serve. Additionally, he exhibited recurring tendencies that were ineffective against a formidable and resolute foe. Jannik broke five of his opponent's eleven opportunities while serving at 48%.
Carlos blasted more than 40 winners after masterfully controlling his strokes. He had the advantage in the remaining sets to win, but he dropped the second set on the only chance his opponent had.
Alarm bells, however, are out of the question for Vagnozzi. After his three-month suspension, Sinner has had a difficult time. He is competitive, balanced, recuperative, and always adapting.
After two major wins in Melbourne and London and other finals, the Italian's season is still outstanding despite the loss in the US Open final. Jannik was absent from four Masters 1000 competitions.
He is still in the running for the top spot at the end of the year, though, before his Shanghai Masters debut. In recent weeks, the San Candido native has worked on a number of upgrades, particularly in the serving area.
To increase the accuracy and consistency of his first shot, he and his crew made minor technical improvements. Despite anticipated ups and downs at the ATP 500 event in Beijing, the initial indications have been encouraging.
Long-term growth is still prioritised over immediate responses by Jannik's team. Every encounter will add to that development, and Vagnozzi places a high value on advancement.
"I wasn't shocked by Jannik's loss in the US Open final. At that time, Carlos's physical and tennis skills were superior. It's important to remember that Jannik has had a really challenging five months.
After two major championships this season and so many finals, we shouldn't discuss any crises. We are looking for enhancements. Sometimes things work, and other times they don't. In New York and Cincinnati, Jannik did not perform well.
Before travelling to China, we slightly altered his serve motion. Simone Vagnozzi stated, "He has been serving well and has adapted well."
THE MIAMI CHAOS: WHY WORLD NO 1 ARYNA SABALENKA WAS SHOCKED BY TOURNAMENT SCHEDULING
Aryna Sabalenka admits she was "really shocked" after being moved off the main court during a chaotic Miami Open opener.
Aryna Sabalenka didn’t hide her surprise about how the Miami Open scheduled her first match this year. She admitted she was “really shocked” by it all.
Sabalenka, ranked No. 1 in the world, beat Ann Li, who’s ranked 39th, 7-6(5), 6-4, in her second-round match at the Hard Rock Stadium. But the start of the Miami Open was a mess; rainstorms washed out all the action on Wednesday, and several Friday matches slid into Saturday because the weather just wouldn’t let up.
Friday got hit with more delays. Sabalenka’s match ended up being moved off the main stadium court to the smaller Butch Buchholz court – definitely not what a top seed expects. At her press conference, Sabalenka explained that tournament organisers actually gave her a choice: play right then on another court or move to Saturday.
“Well, honestly, I was shocked they even thought about cancelling my match just because of the schedule,” Sabalenka said. “And they were giving me a couple stadium options, and I thought, why can’t Alcaraz and Fonseca start a little later? Last night, the night session didn’t even start until nine, and Mirra Andreeva was still playing.”
She kept circling back to how odd it felt. “The idea of cancelling? I just didn’t expect it. But I decided I’d rather play today. If I win, I get a day off to rest and get myself together.”
Sabalenka laughed a little at the whole thing. “Yeah, I was really shocked, but I’m glad I at least got to pick what worked best for me.”
When someone asked why it caught her so off guard, she was straightforward: “I’ve never dealt with anything like this before. I can’t remember anything similar. For me, it’s not a big deal to play and have the night session start a little later, but I guess the tournament has to think about tickets and what works for them.”
As for whether she always expects to play on the main court as the world no. 1, she shrugged it off. “It’s tricky, because Alcaraz was playing too, so you’ve got two No. 1s. What can you do? I’m just glad I had a choice.”
Next up, Sabalenka takes on the world. No 72 Caty McNally in the third round.
JOAO FONSECA REVEALS THE BRUTAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLAYING CARLOS ALCARAZ AND SINNER
Joao Fonseca labels Jannik Sinner a "robot" and claims Carlos Alcaraz has a "bigger arsenal" after his Miami Open exit.
Joao Fonseca hasn’t exactly had a smooth stretch lately. Just look at his recent opponents, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, two heavyweights at the top of the tennis world. Alcaraz beat Fonseca 6-4, 6-4 in Miami, but Fonseca came away with more than just a loss. He’s got a clearer view now of what separates these two giants.
For tennis fans, watching Fonseca face Sinner and Alcaraz was pretty much a dream matchup. The kid’s got hype; people seriously believe he’s the one who’ll someday challenge those two, who for now seem like they’re playing in their own league, barely threatened.
Fonseca still has a journey ahead before anyone can seriously talk about him joining their ranks. But the early signs are strong. He already snagged two ATP titles and climbed to world number 24 in his rookie year – a wild start. Injuries held him back for a bit at the beginning of 2026, but he seems to be finding his feet again, pushing the world’s best in two solid matches.
In Miami, Fonseca made his first-ever fourth-round showing at a Masters 1000, hoping he could keep his momentum against Sinner. He actually had three set points in the first, but Sinner took control and won two tiebreaks, ending Fonseca’s run, but not before Fonseca pushed him hard. Against Alcaraz, Fonseca tried to bring the same level, but it wasn’t enough. Alcaraz broke his serve once per set just enough to claim the win and finish Fonseca’s Miami campaign for another year.
So what does Fonseca make of the difference between Alcaraz and Sinner? After going toe-to-toe with both, he shared his thoughts: “I think Alcaraz has more arsenal than Sinner,” he said in his press conference. Sinner’s like a robot who just kills the ball and does everything perfectly. Carlos? He can do it all: topspin, power, movement, and net play. He’s got everything. It’s harder to read his game because he can break your rhythm in so many ways.”
When it came to Sinner, Fonseca felt more comfortable. “Jannik’s game let me come in without fear and play my style,” he admitted. “But I didn’t take the chances when I had them, and he played well; he’s world number one for a reason. I’ve got to look at my own mistakes and improve.”
The main thing, according to Fonseca, is that Alcaraz is unpredictable. “He’s got pretty much everything, so you don’t know what’s coming. Serve, serve and volley, serve wide and then blast a plus-one shot. That’s what makes playing him tough. You’ve got to play almost a flawless match.”
This wasn’t their first meeting. Fonseca and Alcaraz had faced off at the Miami Tennis Invitational last December, with Alcaraz edging out a super-tight final-set tiebreak. That match hinted at a rivalry that could get a lot more interesting in the future.
