Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner – these two stars have been on every tennis fan’s radar over the past few months. Such have been their exploits on the tennis court that the two have gone on to win each of the last seven Grand Slam tournaments among them. The duo has dominated the ATP circuit, and put on some eye-catching tennis that could match some of the legends of the sport. Taking over from the likes of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner can often be found in the business end of big tournaments. With the US Open not far away, the 19-year-old American sensation, Learner Tien was asked a tough question, to pick one among Alcaraz and Sinner.

Like the duo, Tien is taking big strides in the men’s circuit. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open earlier this year and put on consistent performances across the big tournaments that followed. As a result, he made it to his career-high ranking of number 55 in the world. Ahead of the US Open, Tien was asked to choose between Alcaraz and Sinner during an interview with CLAY.

He replied, “The first person I kind of started watching when I really started liking to watch tennis was Alcaraz. It was kind of when he was coming up. I think it might have been like 2021, kind of when he was starting to break through and he kind of pulled me into watching tennis. So I’d probably have to give him the edge there.”

Tien took to tennis at a young age like Alcaraz. While he was fond of playing, Tien only began to watch tennis regularly when Alcaraz was emerging on the tennis circuit, as Nadal’s career was nearing its end. The two had a smooth transition, with Alcaraz trying to fill in the void left by Nadal. And boy, he hasn’t disappointed so far, winning an astonishing five Grand Slam titles at the age of just 22.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz is playing some of his best tennis before the US Open. After making it to the last eight in Cincinnati, the Spaniard made an interesting revelation about his form.

Carlos Alcaraz impressed by his performance in Cincinnati

Yesterday, the Spaniard continued his impressive run in Cincinnati by outclassing Italian star Luca Nardi in straight sets 6-1, 6-4. Alcaraz took no time and dominated the match right from the word go to enter the quarterfinals. While his performance was a treat to watch for the fans, even the Spaniard was left in awe with his display.

After the match, he said, “I think this match was the best so far for me in this tournament… At the beginning of the tournament, I just really wanted to get better every day, after every practice and every match. I think I’m doing it, which I’m really proud about. I’m just really happy with the way I felt the ball today and the way that I moved.”

The Spaniard will next face Andrey Rublev in the last eight. The Russian star earlier defeated Francisco Comesana to set up a clash with Alcaraz. These are positive signs for Alcaraz ahead of the US Open, and he’ll be rearing to take his rival Jannik Sinner in New York.