Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been dominant forces on the ATP Tour for some time. This year, the Spaniard won the 2026 Australian Open and the Qatar Open, while Sinner captured three ATP Masters 1000 tournaments: the Indian Wells Masters, the Miami Open (completing the Sunshine Double), and most recently, the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Despite Sinner having more titles than Alcaraz this year, former American tennis professionals John Isner and Steve Johnson stated that the seven-time singles Grand Slam champion is having a “better year.”
Former Pros Believe Carlos Alcaraz Will Have a Better 2026 Than Jannik Sinner
Recently, while speaking to Sam Querrey on the “Nothing Major Show” podcast, Johnson was asked whether Sinner or Alcaraz was having the better 2026. He replied that Alcaraz was enjoying the “better year,” having won a Grand Slam title and completed a career Grand Slam, which is not an easy feat.
When Johnson was asked if he would still consider Alcaraz to have a better year than Sinner if the World No. 1 won the Madrid Open and the Italian Open, he maintained that his opinion would remain unchanged even if Sinner won the French Open.
“Carlos still for me. He’s got a Slam title; to complete the career Grand Slam, younger than anyone else in history. Okay. Well, ask me then. Well, I might have a different answer, but I probably won’t. Until after the French [Open], if Sinner wins, even then my answer stays the same. You don’t do something that’s in the history books and have a worse year than somebody else,” Johnson said.
Isner also agreed, stating that Alcaraz is having a “better year” than Sinner, thanks to his Australian Open title.
“I’m going to say Alcaraz still just because of the Slam. It doesn’t feel like that right now, right? Obviously, not to Alcaraz, with three straight 1000s wins for Sinner. But yeah, I’m going to go with Mr. Alcaraz with the Aussie Open title,” Isner said.
Looking ahead, Alcaraz will next compete at the 2026 Barcelona Open. He is the top seed at the tournament and is set to face qualifier Otto Virtanen in the first round, with the winner advancing to meet either Tomáš Macháč or Sebastián Báez in the second round.
MORE: Carlos Alcaraz on Avoiding Jannik Sinner in Barcelona: ‘I Won’t Be Missing Him’
Meanwhile, Sinner is scheduled to compete in the 2026 Madrid Open, taking place from April 20 to May 3, 2026. The matches will be held on outdoor clay courts at Parque Manzanares in Madrid, Spain.
In addition to the World No. 1, other players expected to participate in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Spain include Alex de Minaur, Tommy Paul, Lorenzo Musetti, Taylor Fritz, defending champion Casper Ruud, and former champions Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev, and Alexander Zverev, among others.
