Patrick Mouratoglou has weighed in on the possible reason behind Jannik Sinner’s struggles when matches go the distance. The Italian is on a sublime run at the moment and has won each of the last five ATP Masters 1000 titles.
But matches that go the distance, especially at Grand Slams, remain a concern for Sinner.
Patrick Mouratoglou Explains Reason for Jannik Sinner’s Struggles in Longer Matches
Over the course of his young career, Sinner hasn’t won any of his nine matches that have gone beyond the 3 hours and 50 minutes mark. His longest win took 3 hours and 48 minutes when he defeated Ilya Ivashka at the 2022 US Open. Alcaraz, meanwhile, has collected 15 wins against one loss in matches that have crossed the mark.
Mouratoglou believes that Sinner’s struggles in longer matches may stem from a mental barrier rather than a physical one.
“I don’t think it’s a physical problem. The only other explanation possible is that it’s mental. Sinner, with his type of game and focus, finds a way to win matches quite easily,” Mouratoglou said on his latest Instagram video.
The former coach of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka also compared Sinner’s and Alcaraz’s numbers to illustrate why the Italian might struggle in longer matches.
“Sinner has won 88% of his [2026] matches without dropping a single set. While Alcaraz has won only 70% of the matches without dropping a set. Alcaraz has to fight and find solutions to win. Sinner doesn’t have to do it; he’s winning in straight sets the immense majority of his matches,” he said.
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Mouratoglou explained that because Sinner is not used to matches lasting long, mental doubt might cloud his ability to find solutions in such situations.
“When it comes to very long matches, he has to find solutions to win, which he doesn’t have to deal with most of the season compared to Alcaraz. Some doubt can come in, and it can affect your belief and ability to find a solution,” he added.
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Sinner has lost just two matches so far in 2026. His first defeat of the year came at the Australian Open, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in five sets in a match that lasted 4 hours and 9 minutes.
The 24-year-old also lost to Alcaraz in the 2025 French Open final, a match that lasted 5 hours and 29 minutes.
It will be interesting to see how Sinner fares the next time he faces a match that goes beyond 3 hours and 50 minutes. For now, he appears to be in a league of his own on the ATP Tour and is on a 23-match winning streak heading into the Italian Open.
