Ever since Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz established themselves as the dominant forces on the ATP Tour, the “Big 2” tag has followed them everywhere. Fans have long been divided between Team Forza and Team Vamos, continuing to debate who comes out on top. Now, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has weighed in with her own pick.

“Naturally, I prefer Jannik, because we have similar playing styles,” said Sabalenka in an interview. “When Alcaraz beat Jannik at Roland Garros 2025 after three match points, it was incredible. But at Wimbledon 2025, I was rooting for Jannik because I was really hurting for him at Roland Garros.”

Sabalenka’s assessment is sound, as both players have demonstrated all-court prowess, with both of them clinching the No.1 position back in 2024.

Sinner and Sabalenka’s baseline power and serve were at their peak at the same time, as both clinched hard-court Majors in the 2024 season. Both players have been extremely consistent over the last couple of seasons, with the Belarusian has lost only 32 matches since 2024, whereas the Italian has lost only 17. Both players have been dominant No. 1s, with Sinner completing 81 weeks at the top, while Sabalenka has been at the top for 100 weeks, not letting go of that position since she took it from Iga Swiatek at the end of 2024.

Even though their career graphs and playing styles led Sabalenka to choose Sinner, she did not miss the opportunity to praise Alcaraz’s phenomenal talent. The Spaniard has not held No. 1 as long as Sinner, but he has won two more Majors than the Italian and has a 10-7 head-to-head lead against his rival.

“Alcaraz will always try until the very end. And that, of course, is really cool. And, of course, the fact that he’s open to new things. Even though he was at the top of the rankings, he still changed his serve and adjusted some things,” said Sabalenka. “It’s great because he’s young and rose to the top quite quickly. It’s nice to watch Carlos improve. I think it’s impossible to pick just one person in this matchup.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have consistently pushed each other to evolve, forcing both players to refine different aspects of their game. After Sinner defeated Alcaraz at Wimbledon 2025, the Spaniard identified his serve as a weakness, and went on to make the necessary adjustments ahead of the US Open, where he produced one of the best serving performances of his career.

On the other hand, the loss to Alcaraz in New York last year made Sinner openly admit that he needed more off-pace shots in his arsenal, like the dropshot, to counter Alcaraz. The Italian was true to his word as the new shots were out in full glory this season, as the Italian swept through all the Masters 1000 events and won Wimbledon.

While Sinner is looking to extend his dominance on the ATP Tour, Sabalenka has her own battle ahead. The upcoming North American hard-court swing could prove decisive in her bid to stay World No. 1.

Aryna Sabalenka Will Hope for a better stint during the North American swing

Despite being the World No.1 and having a dominant win-loss record for the season, Aryna Sabalenka enters the North American hard-court swing under some pressure. The Belarusian’s early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon have raised questions about her form, and with Elena Rybakina just 407 points away on the rankings, the No. 1 spot is also at stake.

The nature of losses has increased the noise around Sabalenka’s form, as the Belarusian suffered a poor loss at Roland Garros, where windy conditions derailed her campaign, whereas an excellent showing by Naomi Osaka stopped her at SW19.

However, given the fighting mentality that she has shown over the years, counting out Sabalenka at the US Open would be a fool’s bet. The World No.1 is the two-time defending champion in New York and has a terrific record at that Major, which will make her the pre-tournament favorite despite her recent form concerns.