Imago
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner
Imago
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner
After losing to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open, Jannik Sinner sharpened his attack and made “very solid serve” his defining mission. That transformation exploded at the Sunshine Double, where he stormed through Indian Wells and Miami Open without dropping a set, scripting history. Now, as he eyes the Monte Carlo Masters final, Carlos Alcaraz watches closely, even revealing the weapons he’d love to steal from the Italian as the World No. 2 continues refining his game.
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“I just have a couple of things, to be honest,” Alcaraz started. “The transitions to defend, when he’s defending, to attack, the way that he makes a really good approach the ball and, you know, go aggressive,” he explained. His words highlighted how quickly Sinner can shift gears during rallies.
Alcaraz admitted that describing it is not easy, but the impact is undeniable. “It is the way he just approaches the ball. I think that’s incredible. It seems like he just hit the ball every time on the sweet point of the racket, and that’s something that I really look, a lot of times.”
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He then pointed to another crucial weapon in Sinner’s arsenal. “One other thing is the serve. He has improved a lot the serve, the last, I don’t know, six months.” Both areas have clearly become defining strengths for the Italian heading into the clay-court swing.
🤔 ¿Qué le robaría Carlos Alcaraz a Jannik Sinner?
🗣 “Su transición de defensa a ataque, especialmente su aproximación a la pelota: es increíble, parece que siempre le da a la pelota en el punto dulce de la raqueta. Y el saque, lo ha mejorado mucho”.pic.twitter.com/74g7TwO5Va
— Tiempo De Tenis (@Tiempodetenis1) April 10, 2026
When it comes to serving, the numbers underline that improvement. Earlier in his career, Sinner used a platform serve and landed 58.1% of his first serves, winning 74.5% of those points.
He also won 53.2% of his second-serve points and 83.2% of his service games. These figures showed consistency but still left room for growth.
There were marginal gains in 2023, followed by a significant leap in 2024. He managed to maintain that level through 2025, which became his best serving season at the time.
In 2026, however, Sinner has taken things even further. After switching to a pinpoint serve, he has recorded major improvements across all key service statistics compared to his career averages.
His serving dominance has been evident in recent tournaments. At the Miami Open, he fired 70 aces, and at the Monte Carlo Masters, he has already struck 13 aces in just three matches.
Beyond the serve, Sinner’s evolution is also visible in his aggressive baseline play. His “hyper-offensive” style sees him stand close to the baseline and take the ball early, reducing his opponent’s reaction time and forcing errors or weak returns.
As Alcaraz now looks to adopt these elements, he has also hinted that Sinner may have taken inspiration from his own game, something that has become clearly visible in the Italian’s recent performances.
Carlos Alcaraz shares thoughts on Jannik Sinner’s dropshots
In today’s game, when the dropshot comes to mind, Carlos Alcaraz is often the first name mentioned. His touch and timing have made it one of the most feared shots on tour.
The Spaniard arguably possesses the best dropshot on the ATP Tour right now. He regularly catches opponents off guard by softly guiding the ball just over the net. What makes it so effective is the precision. The ball lands delicately, often out of reach before opponents can even react.
However, his biggest rival, Jannik Sinner, has clearly been paying attention. The Italian has started to add the dropshot into his own arsenal. This adjustment has become more noticeable as he transitions onto clay. It is a surface where he has yet to win a major title, something he is eager to change this season.
Alcaraz himself has observed this shift in Sinner’s game. He did not hesitate to share his thoughts on the development.
“Obviously, I have seen Jannik making more dropshots than usual. He’s doing pretty good, to be honest. You know, every dropshot, I know he’s been working on it, but it seems like it’s natural to him right now,” the top seed at the Monte Carlo Masters.
Alcaraz even added a light-hearted remark while discussing Sinner’s improvement. He playfully questioned whether the Italian had been studying his own game.
“Probably in the practice to become a really good player to make a dropshot, I don’t know if he’s been watching any videos of me. I don’t know.” His comment added humor to the growing rivalry.
That idea might not be far from reality. Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, Sinner’s coach Simone Vagnozzi explained the work being done behind the scenes.
“He’s understanding better when to use it and where, based on the ball the opponent gives him. Now he’s also starting to play it off the backhand, and it’s a shot he can still improve because when he hits hard from the backhand, the opponents step back, so a drop shot would be a step forward in his game and technical arsenal.”
He later added, “There’s definitely room to add more variety, but it takes time. There’s no magic wand — it takes time to change things. No one can change in two weeks; it’s a process, and Jannik is the first one who wants to improve.”
With both Sinner and Alcaraz scheduled to play in the semifinals, the tennis world is now hoping for their first clash of the year, as both stars chase another Masters final on the red clay.
