Italian tennis has seen champions before. It has celebrated flair, grit, and moments of magic that lit up clay courts and hard courts alike. But every once in a while, a player comes along who doesn’t win matches - he bends expectations. On a Saturday night far removed from baseline rallies and championship points, two of Italy’s most beloved tennis voices found themselves saying exactly that about Jannik Sinner.

Under the bright lights of Dancing with the Stars on Rai1, Adriano Panatta and Paolo Bertolucci weren’t dissecting forehands or backhands. They were smiling, joking, and marveling - almost like proud witnesses to something extraordinary. Panatta, the 1976 Roland Garros champion and a man not easily impressed, chose words that sounded half-serious, half-poetic - but entirely sincere. “I truly believe that Jannik Sinner is not human; he comes from another planet, or rather, another constellation. What he does is not normal.”

Standing beside him, Bertolucci didn’t need a long monologue. A nod, a smile, and a perfectly timed verdict summed it all up. “He's a phenomenon.” Coming from two men who have lived through Italian tennis highs and lows, those words carry weight. Panatta and Bertolucci have seen trends come and go, champions rise and fade. Yet Sinner, still just 24 and hailing from the quiet mountain town of Sesto Pusteria, seems to exist outside the usual timeline. His rise hasn’t just been about rankings or trophies - it’s been about redefining what Italian tennis can look like on the global stage.

In January 2025, during an interview with Ticinonline, Bertolucci spoke highly about Jannik Sinner. He said, “Italy has always had good players, but all that was missing was the diamond in the rough, the jewel capable of lighting up the whole movement. The groundwork was always there, but it often worked in cycles. Now we've got Jannik and a lot of other great guys behind him.” 

Even when Sinner lost to Alcaraz in the 2025 US Open final, Paolo Bertolucci came to his countryman's defense amid severe criticism for the defeat. For Sinner, moments like these say as much as any title run. When legends stop analyzing and start marveling, when comparisons give way to wonder, it’s a sign that something special is unfolding. Italian tennis isn’t just proud of Jannik Sinner. It’s still trying to understand him.

As per Adriano Panatta’s statements during a previous interview with La Dominica Sportiva, Sinner has a better chance of achieving the ‘Calendar Grand Slam’ feat than Carlos Alcaraz. No wonder Alcaraz has been the biggest hurdle in achieving further glories in the last couple of years. In 2025, these two tennis stars shared two Grand Slam titles each. What will happen in 2026? Time will tell! But who’s better between these two?

Who has the upper hand between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, according to the tennis world?

For nearly two decades, the tennis world lived in comfortable certainty. If greatness needed a face, it had three of them. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic end of discussion. But now, the conversation has changed. And it usually starts with a pause. If you had to choose just one…

That unfinished sentence is all it takes to ignite the modern tennis debate - Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. They’re different in style, temperament, and rhythm. Yet together, they’ve become inseparable, two names spoken in the same breath, the twin pillars of tennis’ post-Big 3 era.

But coming to picking one between these two superstars, Marcos Baghdatis said, “I would go with Alcaraz because he has more variety to his game, I can say. But he’s mentally maybe less consistent than Sinner, so it can backfire. But yeah, I would go with Alcaraz.”

Even when the fellow tennis pro, Cameron Norrie, was asked a similar question during a conversation on the Nothing Major Show, he said, “I have never played Sinner. I have practiced with him a lot. I really want to play him. I would like to do that first before I give you my honest opinion, but I always back Alcaraz, to be honest. I always think he has more variety, and I love watching him. He is so good to watch, my favorite to watch. So I always back Alcaraz, and I stick with him.”

However, as per Lorenzo Musetti, although he thinks Carlos Alcaraz has both the best forehand and volley, he thinks Sinner has the best backhand and return. But when it came to labeling one as the best player on the ATP Tour, he remained loyal to his fellow countryman, Jannik Sinner.

Despite being out of action for almost 90 days due to the ban, Sinner managed to finish the season ranking second in the world, winning six titles overall (including two majors), and he had a win-loss record of 58-6. Can the Italian improve these numbers further in 2026? Share your thoughts in the comment box.

Written by

Sayantan Roy

Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallyTennis. He brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his experience in writing with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

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