Nadal expresses concern about today's tennis scene: Someone needs to put pressure on Alcaraz and Sinner.

Meeting in six finals including three Grand Slams, two Masters, and the Turin year-end championships, Alcaraz and Sinner have almost ruled the season. Sinner looks nearly invincible, with only two defeats against Alcaraz and Rublev. At the same time, Alcaraz secured eight championships and appeared in eleven finals. Over time, it’s become clear that only they can truly challenge each other. But is this really beneficial for tennis?

Nadal may not think so. The 22-time Grand Slam champion and recently retired legend knows these two young players well. He has faced Sinner and Alcaraz on court, leading their head-to-head records 3-0 and 2-1 respectively. Having witnessed their power up close, he now observes their dominance from the sidelines. In an interview with Spanish radio Cadena Ser’s show El Larguero, Nadal voiced his worries about the lack of sufficient competitive pressure on these young stars.

“I believe Sinner and Alcaraz need someone to push them,” he said. “João Fonseca? I think he’s still too young, not yet ready to take on that role. They require challengers because they have established themselves above everyone else; no matter their condition, they can beat anyone until they meet someone who can stop them. For those of us watching from outside, it seems even when they’re not at their best, they keep winning and reaching every final.”

For Nadal, “rivals” have always been the heartbeat of tennis. Throughout his career, he had two of the greatest opponents: Federer and Djokovic. Every great era is built on such competition! He believes strong rivals sharpen champions, drive the sport forward, and create tennis drama. Yet now, the gap between Alcaraz, Sinner, and other players is very noticeable. So, who can genuinely challenge them?

Zverev remains one of their closest competitors thanks to his consistent performance, still having hopes to reach the semifinals at the year-end finals. However, Sinner has also beaten him easily, most recently in Turin with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. Then there is Djokovic—currently world number four—still a veteran threat lurking in the shadows. Due to his selective participation, many analysts believe his experience can still cause trouble in best-of-three matches, especially at major events like the Australian Open.

Below them, players like Aliassime (world number five) and the rising Draper (top ten) show potential. Experts like Jim Courier think if Draper and Shelton can maintain form, they might become disruptors in 2026. However, the points gap remains huge.

At present, the world number two leads those behind by more than 6000 points, making it extremely difficult for any hopefuls to climb next season. Therefore, the coming year will be very interesting to watch. Yet, Nadal is not the only one concerned about this.

1976 French Open champion Adriano Panatta shared sharp views on modern tennis in an interview with DJ Radio. Echoing Nadal’s worries, he criticized today’s elite for lacking the "chaotic balance" of the past. He said that in the 1970s, every top ten player had won a Grand Slam. Competition was extremely balanced back then—anyone could lose to anyone!

Nowadays? Far from it. “If we look at the top players of the seventies,” Panatta said, “everyone in the top ten had at least one Grand Slam title. Competition was more even, and anyone could be defeated. Now, Alcaraz and Sinner hardly ever lose.” This year’s Grand Slams had almost no surprises, with most expecting the “new Caraz” (Sincaraz) to appear in the finals!

The Italian legend further shared his opinion: “Alcaraz and Sinner are indeed very strong, but nowadays almost everyone plays the same way. Borg and Vilas always beat opponents with similar styles. But if they faced me or McEnroe, they would lose because our styles were completely different. Nowadays, true attacking players are nearly extinct.”

In his view, Djokovic is the only one still capable of “disrupting” things. This year, he reached the semifinals of all Grand Slams and won his 101st career title! Moreover, he is the only player who has beaten one of these two prodigies in a Grand Slam—at the Australian Open quarterfinals, despite a hamstring injury, he defeated Alcaraz.

As the 2026 season approaches, pressure mounts on the ATP Tour. Who will bring their best form to challenge the dual dominance of Sinner and Alcaraz?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Huohua)