It didn’t seem like Sinner was at 100%. Not to take anything away from Alcaraz - his performance was absolutely superb - but I’m not convinced Sinner was playing at his best or fully healthy. I think the last set where Sinner looked 100% at US Open was the first set that he played with Felix.
I could certainly be wrong.
I saw this excerpt from Sinner's press conference, and from what I saw it makes sense...
Some pretty amazing stats on this pair though, one is that this year was the first time since 2002 that one of the big 3 was not in a major final. Truly the end of an era.
I saw this excerpt from Sinner's press conference, and from what I saw it makes sense...
I miss the days, before poly strings and new racquet technology, of serve and volley players. Talk about mixing it up. No one would dare serve and volley against either of these two - service games are too valuable and can't be lost.
Alcaraz is much more athletic than Sinner and I think that gives him the edge.
I'm waiting for the next player to ante up and challenge for a NEW Big 3
2 isn't enough.
Totally agree. One thing I will say, though, is that at least at the non-professional level, S&V definitely still has its place ... simply because nobody does it anymore. I played throughout juniors and for a year at a D1 university in the mid-late 80s and totally patterned my game (but not my antics) after McEnroe. The main people I play against now are 15-25 years younger than I am, and serving and volleying totally takes them out of their comfort zone.
I find it effective as well, in particular playing against someone that I struggle to rally from the baseline with - like someone with a large amount of topspin (my sweet spot for hitting is definitely not shoulder height like these modern players, but more like hip height).
The problem is, I always freaking forget to do it!
