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Italian tennis legend Adriano Panatta says Jannik Sinner has no real competition at the moment and will have it only when Carlos Alcaraz returns.
After the Spanish tennis star sustained a right wrist injury in mid-April and pulled out of the rest of the clay season, the Italian went on to win back-to-back Masters titles in Madrid and Rome.
What happened at the French Open is well documented as Sinner collapsed under the Parisian sun and suffered a shock second-round loss.
Since it was too early for Alcaraz to return during the grass season, the Spanish tennis star also missed Wimbledon.
In the absence of the Spaniard, Sinner went on to win back-to-back Wimbledon titles.
Panatta: When Alcaraz returns, tennis will return to being an open contest
“I am waiting for him, sincerely convinced that only with the two of them paired up again - Sinner on one side, Carlos on the other - will tennis once again become an open contest, the duel everyone desires,” the 1976 French Open champion told Corriere della Sera.
“Right now, it isn’t, and it couldn’t be. By winning his second Wimbledon, Sinner has shown he is simply too strong for everyone. He fended off Zverev - who had meanwhile won in Paris and climbed to No. 2 in the rankings - handing the German his tenth consecutive defeat. Sport - not just tennis - needs fierce rivalries to be as compelling as possible.”
When is Alcaraz expected to finally return?
Alcaraz didn't sign up for the Montreal Masters, which kicks off on August 2.
However, last week it was confirmed that the seven-time Grand Slam champion was targeting a return to action at the Cincinnati Masters, which begins on August 13.
Barring a setback, Alcaraz is expected to return in less than a month and compete in Cincinnati before heading to the US Open.
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