"With Carlos Alcaraz, it's more up in the air" - Mats Wilander reveals reason behind choosing Jannik Sinner as US Open favorite

Mats Wilander recently named Jannik Sinner as his pick for the 2025 US Open men's singles title. The 60-year-old, who achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 1 during his playing days, also spoke up about Carlos Alcaraz's chances at the hardcourt tennis Major.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Wilander cited reigning No. 1 Sinner's penchant for making deep runs at almost every tournament he plays as the reason behind picking the Italian as the favorite for the men's singles title at Flushing Meadows this year.

"If I had to pick a favourite, I would pick Jannik Sinner, because I think that there's less of a chance that he loses early in the tournament than it is for Carlos Alcaraz," Wilander said.

The Swede though, acknowledged Carlos Alcaraz's remarkable form so far in 2025, which has yielded six titles, including his successful French Open title defense. Notably, three of those title triumphs came after he registered wins over Jannik Sinner in the finals, including the five-set epic at Roland Garros.

"And I know that (Alcaraz has) been in every final that he's literally played in, in the last few months. So, he doesn't really lose to players that are lower rank," he added.

However, citing the Spaniard's rare slip-ups from past years, Wilander ultimately sided with the Italian, saying:

"But again, there is a small chance that he might. With Jannik Sinner, I think that he doesn't do that. I think Sinner will get to the finals of the US Open if he's healthy. And if he's 90-95% of his ability, I think he gets there. With Carlos Alcaraz, it's a little bit more up in the air."

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At US Open 2024, Jannik Sinner stormed his way to the title, while Carlos Alcaraz suffered shock 2R loss

Jannik Sinner poses with the 2024 US Open men's singles trophy (Source: Getty)

Sinner's 2024 US Open campaign was marred by controversy, with news of his two Clostebol-positive doping tests breaking ahead of the hardcourt Major. However, despite the raging off-court debates and discussions, the Italian convincingly won the men's singles title at Flushing Meadows, dropping only two sets throughout the tournament.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz produced an erratic display in his second-round clash against Botic van de Zandschulp, with the Dutchman shockingly ousting the No. 3 seeded Spaniard by inflicting an unexpected straight-set defeat.

As things stand, it's fair to say that it's far too early to predict how Alcaraz and Sinner's 2025 US Open campaigns will turn out. The pair's most recent clash in the men's singles final of the Cincinnati Open came to an early end as the Italian retired mid-match citing illness.