John McEnroe knows a thing or two about rivalries.
The tennis legend, who faced off against Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl more than 30 times each during his playing days, is now watching the next great battle take shape. He believes Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could become the modern version of the Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal saga.
Speaking during TNT Sports’ coverage of Roland Garros on May 26, McEnroe shared his excitement about what the future holds for the two rising stars. “It is going to be interesting for a long time to see these two go at it,” he said. “I hope they go at it as much as Djokovic and Nadal, but that was like 60 times. That would be amazing.”
McEnroe’s hope is simple, he wants to see Sinner and Alcaraz face each other often and on the biggest stages. Both are into the second week at the French Open 2025 and are showing signs of being the dominant duo in men’s tennis for years to come.
“Alcaraz can do everything,” McEnroe said. “He is amazing, I love watching him. He throws everything at you. Sinner is so good at the baseline, his anticipation is awesome.”
The head-to-head favors Alcaraz, who leads their rivalry 7-4 after winning the last four matches. McEnroe believes the Spaniard has a slight edge, especially on clay. “The way Carlos is playing, on a clay court, he has a bit of an edge on Sinner,” he added. “If they both came out and brought their A+ games, Alcaraz is slightly better. He has a little bit more to his game.”
But it’s not all one-sided. McEnroe also pointed out that when both players are slightly off, it’s Sinner who may have the advantage. “If they are playing A- games, Sinner is slightly better. If they are a little bit off and Carlos gets a little impatient…”
It’s clear McEnroe is invested in the potential of this matchup. He reminisced about his own storied battles from the 1980s, saying, “I played Connors 33 times, I played Lendl 36. You don’t get that level very often. It’s rather remarkable.”
Now, he’s rooting for this generation’s best to build their own chapter in tennis history. “Let’s hope we get at least another 20 to 30 [matches] minimum,” he said with a smile.
As Sinner and Alcaraz continue to rise and meet in big matches, fans, and legends like McEnroe, can only hope this becomes one of the defining rivalries of the era.
