By TennisUpToDate.com

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On the latest episode of Advantage Connors, Jimmy Connors and his son Brett dove deep into the most compelling rivalry in men’s tennis right now: Carlos Alcaraz versus Jannik Sinner. With Alcaraz winning seven of their last eight meetings, the pair discussed whether the Spaniard has taken a decisive step forward — and what it will take for Sinner or anyone else to keep pace.

Brett opened the debate by pointing out the record: “How will the battle for the number one spot between Alcaraz and Sinner unfold? Has Alcaraz grown noticeably stronger now? Because he’s won seven out of eight.”

Jimmy was quick to note how slim the margins are. “That should tell you. And the one out of the eight that Sinner won is surprising because it was Wimbledon. You’d think Alcaraz, with his variety and drop shots, would shine on grass. So the one Sinner did win was almost the most surprising,” he said.

The former world No. 1 highlighted just how relentlessly both players perform from the first ball. “Both guys start out at such a high level. There’s no working your way into it. From game one, they’re at full tilt — deuce, deuce, deuce. That sets the precedent. The separation between them is so tiny, but it’s also clear from the rest of the field. One little letdown changes the whole match.”

Has Alcaraz eliminated the ‘weird losses’?

Brett reflected on how Alcaraz used to sometimes stumble against lower-ranked opponents. “A year ago it felt like he was this generational talent, destined to be one of the greats, but he’d take weird losses. He lost to Goffin in Miami — it was strange. Has he taken the next step where those kinds of results are behind him?”

Jimmy agreed: “Those kinds of losses happen to everyone. Nobody’s perfect. But now it feels like once it clicked for him, he’s not dropping those early-round matches anymore. Since Monte Carlo he hasn’t had those lapses. Now, you better be one of the top guys and catch him on a bad day. And even then, don’t count on it happening very often.”

He stressed that for challengers, the task is immense. “That’s why we talk about somebody young coming up to push him. Back in 2021, guys in their 30s were still at the top. Now, kids who are 18, 19, 20 are already bigger, stronger, and better prepared. They’ve got training, diet, psychologists, a whole team. Tennis used to be an individual sport, but now it’s almost like a team event.”

That shift led into a discussion about on-court coaching. “They all look up at their box every time,” Jimmy said. “If I’d done that back in my day, your grandma and Poncho would’ve poked my eyes out! They’d say, ‘Take care of your own business.’”

For Jimmy, coaching during matches undermines what tennis should be. “I’m against it. Do your work beforehand. Tennis is a one-on-one sport. If it’s Davis Cup, fine, but in regular tournaments, no. Know what you can do, know how well you can do it, then go out there and do it. You either win or lose on your own.”