Former ATP star Paolo Bertolucci recently stated that mentally Carlos Alcaraz is far behind his rival Jannik Sinner as the Spaniard made a disappointing exit at the recently-held Australian Open despite being in top form.
Alcaraz started the slam Down Under in the same manner as Sinner. He thrashed all his opponents during his route to the quarters where he fell to Alexander Zverev in a four-setter.
The Spaniard was playing his best tennis in recent months and was looking a clear favourite to win the first slam of 2024 but his shocking defeat to the German in the quarters was a surprise to many as he lost the first two sets winning only four games in total.
Sinner, on the other hand, not only crashed all his opponents to claim his first slam, but he also made an astonishing comeback in the final against Daniil Medvedev, after being two sets down, to win.
Sinner’s mental strength and ability to thrive under pressure was on display during the final against the world no. 4 as the Italian didn’t give in throughout the five-set battle that lasted for three hours and 45 minutes.
Following their Australian Open campaigns, Bertolucci concluded that while Alcaraz’s quality cannot be doubted, he is nowhere near Sinner when it comes to mental strength.
"Mentally [Carlos Alcaraz] he is light years away from Sinner. He looks for something else besides the point, many times he seems to be having fun and involving the public because his tennis is made up of special effects,” Bertolucci said.
He then added that Alcaraz’s strong attraction for flair in his game may not be very beneficial for him in the long run.
"They are beautiful things, which drive you crazy, but sometimes they make you lose games,” he added.
It is worth mentioning that Sinner won the first-ever Grand Slam at the age of 22, while Alcaraz is already a two-time major winner at 20.
