"At 19 no one played like that, not even Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal or Roger Federer" - Jannik Sinner's coach on Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner’s coach Simone Vagnozzi recently lavished rich praise on World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

In a conversation with UBITennis, Vagnozzi hailed Alcaraz's outstanding achievements at just 19 years of age. The Italian coach compared the completeness of Alcaraz’s game favorably with that of teenage Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Vagnozzi went as far as to claim that the 2022 US Open champion was a step above the legends.

“We're talking about a phenomenon. At 19 no one played like that, not even those we call sacred monsters like Djokovic, Rafa or Federer. No one had the completeness that he has at 19,” Vagnozzi said.

The Italian coach went on to highlight the numerous positive aspects of Alcaraz's game, and stated that the Spaniard has always had a knack for the sport.

“If you watch an Alcaraz match when he was 15, you see that he could do more or less all the things he does even now: play the drop shot, comes to the net, serves and volleys, similar to what happens now, so it is a path that is completing over time,” he said.

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"Alcaraz is ahead at the moment" - Jannik Sinner's coach on the Italian’s rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been touted as the new faces of tennis. Alcaraz himself has deemed Sinner to be his biggest rival, and has credited the Italian for making him a better player.

Simone Vagnozzi, however, feels that Alcaraz is currently in a better position than Sinner given his success at the 2022 US Open as well as his Masters 1000 titles in Miami, Madrid and Indian Wells.

“We must consider that he comes from more important experiences, he has won a Grand Slam, three Masters 1000, so even if he is younger he is probably more ready to play certain games. Alcaraz is ahead at the moment, but if we get to play against him we can play it,” he said.

Alcaraz and Sinner have faced off five times on tour so far. Alcaraz inaugurated the rivalry with a victory at the 2021 Paris Masters. This was followed by a two-match run by Sinner, at 2022 Wimbledon and the Croatia Open final, before the Spaniard leveled terms at the US Open.

Most recently, the duo clashed in the semifinals of the 2023 Indian Wells event. Alcaraz's win over Sinner gave him a 3-2 lead over the 21-year-old in the head-to-head.

At the Miami Open, the two youngsters are headed for a potential semifinal meeting. Through to the Round of 16, Alcaraz has set up a clash with American Tommy Paul, while Sinner is gearing up to square off against Russia’s Andrey Rublev for a spot in the quarterfinals of the event.