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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Issued Warning As Ben Shelton, Joao Fonseca and Others Pose Threat

Originally posted on EssentiallySports | By Mintu Tomar | Last updated Oct 2, 2025 12:27 PM ET

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner rule the tennis courts wherever they go. In just three years, the “Murcian Maverick” and the Italian “Machine” have completely taken over the ATP landscape. Going forward, however, the biggest question that may pop up is: Can anyone rise to Alcaraz and Sinner’s levels and disrupt their duopoly? It’s looking like a Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal 2.0 rivalry.

According to Patrick Mouratoglou, the acclaimed coach who guided Serena Williams to 10 of her 23 slams over a decade, five potential rivals can challenge the current world beaters. He says they all must possess “a great forehand, great backhand, great serve, great movement, great mindset,” pointing out the five holy grail tennis skill sets to become an icon.

He revealed the first name to be 22-year-old American sensation Ben Shelton. Mouratoglou thinks he has got an “unbelievable serve. Unbelievable forehand, lefty, another advantage. Great mindset, good movement.” However, the youngster’s only problem is that “he is not as fast as the guys (Sinner and Alcaraz) because he is heavier, he is more muscular. So that’s a disadvantage.”

Revealing the second potential rival, he took Jack Draper‘s name. He is “another lefty. It is an advantage. I mean, this guy has a lot of qualities. Big serve. Unbelievable forehand, good sense for the game. Very good fighter, very driven. Confident in his ability to become top, top.”

However, the most significant concern regarding the Brit remains his fitness, according to Mouratoglou. “Looks like every year and now he is going to have one big injury that is going to prevent him from playing 3 or 4 months.” Ahead of the US Open this season, Draper pulled out due to an arm injury last month. It was so severe that he ended the 2025 season early to recover appropriately.

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According to the top coach, Felix Auger-Aliassime is the next player who can challenge Alcaraz and Sinner. Although his backhand is a weakness, he makes up for it with a strong serve. He also “moves so fast around his backhand that he could cover it most of the time.” Auger-Aliassime showed his might during last month’s US Open semifinal. He gave a tough fight to Sinner, snatching the second set to bring a thrilling twist to the encounter before eventually losing. Revealing the fourth contender who can dethrone the Spaniard and the Italian, Mouratoglou picked Holger Rune. “I think he has also what it takes in his game. Strong serve, huge forehand, huge backhand. Unbelievable movement.” However, his stability is a cause for concern, especially regarding consistency in games, results, or his attitude. “Because that is also one of the things between the matches. Sometimes the emotion takes over and he loses his focus and he loses matches because of that.” Taking the name of the fifth potential rival to Alcaraz and Sinner, Mouratoglou mentioned, “Joao Fonseca. He has everything, he has no weakness.” Patrick lauded the Brazilian teenage sensation, saying, “Both of his shots are really, extremely strong. He serves well, he moves well. So, (he) is a potential rival for them. And I feel he really-really wants it.” Still, the top coach believes Fonseca needs time to prove his mettle. And that he must clear certain obstacles before emerging as a threat. “I mean he has to finish the season (in) top 30 and next season top 10. And I think the next season after top ten, this is where he should really start to threaten Carlos and Jannik.” Those five players could probably be on the minds of the tennis fraternity. While all five challengers look solid, they still might not be able to reach SinCaraz’s levels.

Top coach reveals why Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s tennis “beats virtually everybody”

American ATP star Tommy Paul’s trainer, Brad Stine, recently shared an honest assessment of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He commented on why “everybody’s chasing” these modern-day “big two” and explained the reason behind their unparalleled domination.

During an Insider-In podcast episode, Stine revealed, “They’ve really separated themselves from everybody else. Everyone’s chasing those guys. They’re producing a type of tennis that’s obviously been extremely difficult for everybody else to compete against. It’s fun from the standpoint that they’re a little bit different.”

He also emphasized the two players’ mental toughness in overcoming unfavorable conditions and circumstances. “It’s obviously producing the kind of tennis that beats virtually everybody else on a very, very, very consistent basis. Then when they play each other, they’re doing what those other guys did. They’re pushing themselves to a different level.”

Take, for example, how Alcaraz pulled off that historic comeback against Sinner in the French Open final. Despite being three championship points down in the fourth set, he stayed focused and calm before eventually snatching the victory from the jaws of defeat.

At 22, Alcaraz currently has 24 ATP titles, while Sinner has won 21 at the age of 24. One is a six-time slam champion, while the other has bagged four. Clearly, they have a long road ahead to further solidify their supremacy compared to the rest. It will be intriguing to see whether the five potential rivals, as Mouratoglou claimed, can really bother these two. Who do you think is the leading contender for dethroning SinCaraz? Let us know in the comments below.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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