"We were watching a better version of Novak Djokovic" - John McEnroe assesses Jannik Sinner's level ahead of Wimbledon final vs Carlos Alcaraz

John McEnroe praised Jannik Sinner's performance against Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinal and broke down what will decide the final against Carlos Alcaraz. This will be the second consecutive Grand Slam final between the world's top two ATP stars.

On Friday, July 11, Sinner faced no difficulties in beating Djokovic 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. The Italian's court coverage and play in the forecourt surprised McEnroe and reminded him of a young Djokovic who took the tennis world by storm.

"Never have I seen Sinner move and cover the court so effectively. Not just the back court but the forecourt... It's not something you typically see from Sinner," McEnroe told the BBC.

"We were watching a better version of Novak Djokovic playing himself. Doing the exact same things that made Novak get to that pantheon of the sport," he added.

Further, McEnroe assessed that when Sinner brings his A game, only Alcaraz can beat him.

"When Sinner brings his A game, there's no one that can beat him - other than Alcaraz. On the other hand, if Alcaraz doesn't bring his A game, Sinner will win every time. So it's going to be extremely interesting," McEnroe said.

The last time Sinner and Alcaraz faced off, it was just a month ago on the clay courts of Roland Garros. Defending champion Alcaraz was staring down the barrel of defeat after going down two sets, but the Spaniard made an extraordinary comeback to win 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(10-2) in the longest French Open final.

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Novak Djokovic chooses Carlos Alcaraz as the favorite to win Wimbledon over Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the Italian Open - Source: Getty

After Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semifinal, the Serb was asked about his views on the final between the World No. 1 and 2.

"I think I will give a slight edge to Carlos Alcaraz as a favorite because of the two titles he's won here and the way he's playing and the confidence he has right now... But it's just a slight advantage 'cause Jannik Sinner is hitting the ball extremely well," Djokovic told the media (via ATPTour.com).

However, the Serb believed the Wimbledon final could be as tightly contested as the Roland Garros final.

"I think it's going to be, again, a very close matchup like we had in Paris," he added.

Carlos Alcaraz holds a commanding 8‑4 lead in their head‑to‑head rivalry. Moreover, he has beaten Jannik Sinner five times in a row, including finals at the Italian Open, French Open, and in Beijing.

The 22-year-old Spaniard arrives as the defending champion, having won Wimbledon 2023 and 2024, giving him a crucial experience edge. Meanwhile, Sinner is the World No. 1 and is in peak form this season . His confidence is high after dispatching Djokovic in straight sets in the semifinals.

Their contrasting styles and recent results set the stage for a thrilling Wimbledon final on Sunday, July 13.