Former world No 17 Nicolas Escude has identified Carlos Alcaraz as the player who “can find the weapons to oppose” Jannik Sinner as he analysed the Italian’s dominance.

Escude assessed that, while Alcaraz has “all the solutions”,  the Spaniard is struggling to “put everything in the right order.”

Sinner, the world No 1, holds a huge 4,820-point ATP Rankings lead over Alcaraz, who occupies third spot behind Alexander Zverev.

At the 2025 Australian Open, Sinner beat Zverev in the final, while Alcaraz lost to Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.

Since the start of the 2024 season, Sinner and Alcaraz have won the last five major tournaments between them.

They have secured seven of the last 10 Grand Slams — a run that started with Alcaraz’s maiden Grand Slam victory at the 2022 US Open.

Sinner has monopolised the hard-court majors since Djokovic’s 2023 US Open win, having won the last two editions of the Australian Open and the 2024 US Open.

ATP Tennis News

Jannik Sinner ‘boring’ criticism addressed in Novak Djokovic claim by former world No 10

The 5 men born in the 2000s with the most ATP Tour titles: Sinner & Alcaraz in front

Alcaraz, meanwhile, sits on four Grand Slam crowns having added two Wimbledon titles and the 2024 French Open trophy to his US Open victory.

The 21-year-old Spaniard holds a 6-4 head-to-head advantage over Sinner having won all three of the pair’s encounters last season.

In an interview with L’Equipe, Escude revealed the two ways he feels Sinner can lose matches as he highlighted the threat of Alcaraz.

“We saw Sinner have a big physical failure against Rune in this tournament (the Australian Open),” the Frenchman said.

“But for him to lose, I think he needs to come up against a player who can keep up the pace physically against his way of playing, which is not easy.

“Or against a serving machine, who can bring him to the end of sets and take advantage of a point or two.

“But in a Grand Slam, over time, it’s complicated. Alcaraz probably remains the one who, thanks to all the solutions he has in his tennis, suggests that he can find the weapons to oppose Sinner.

“But for the moment, he continues to sometimes make mistakes, to not put everything in the right order.”

Alcaraz is in action at this week’s Rotterdam Open, while Sinner – who won the event in 2024 – decided not to defend his title. The world No 3 will be the top seed on his debut at the ATP 500 tournament.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz provides health update amid illness concerns ahead of Rotterdam Open