Why Patrick Mouratoglou believes Sinner is playing at a level even the Big Three never hit

Mouratoglou says Sinner is doing something the Big Three never did

Sharing his thoughts on LinkedIn, Mouratoglou highlighted the bravery Sinner showed in the ATP Finals, especially on a crucial set point for Alcaraz. “When he was in difficulty… Sinner dared with his second serve. These are a champion’s shots,” he wrote, adding that the Italian embraced a new mindset after the US Open that has transformed him.

Mouratoglou then made his most striking claim: Sinner is currently performing at a combined level unseen in tennis history. “He’s unique,” he said. “Roger on serve, Rafa and Novak on return — but never both. This is something new in tennis.” With six finals between the two in 2025, he believes the Sinner–Alcaraz rivalry is set to define the sport’s next era.

The serving-and-returning stats that prove Sinner’s dominance

Sinner’s numbers across the 2025 season back up Mouratoglou’s bold assessment. The Italian leads the ATP Tour in serve rating with a mark of 297.4 — ahead of noted power servers like Taylor Fritz and Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. He also tops the rankings for first-serve points won, second-serve points won, and percentage of service games captured.

On the return side, he is just as formidable, finishing the year as the ATP leader in return rating and in second-serve return points won. Despite trailing Alcaraz 2–6 in their head-to-head meetings for 2025, Sinner’s late-season surge suggests the balance of power heading into 2026 is changing fast — and tennis may be witnessing something entirely new.