Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have established themselves as the dominant forces on the ATP Tour, with the last seven Grand Slam titles split between them. But according to Holger Rune, there are only two players who have the game to disrupt their reign on the sport’s biggest stage.
Following his surprising exit from the US Open at the hands of Jan-Lennard Struff, Rune said Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are the most likely candidates to prevent another Sinner-Alcaraz showdown in New York.
“It’s just hard to win Grand Slam tournaments,” Rune admitted in his press conference. “Now it will probably be another final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Apart from them, it is probably only Novak Djokovic or Alexander Zverev who can win”.
The numbers back up Rune’s claim. Alcaraz has collected titles at Roland Garros (2024, 2025) and Wimbledon (2024), while Sinner has won the Australian Open in 2024 and 2025, the 2024 US Open, and most recently Wimbledon in 2025, defeating Alcaraz in the final.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz after the 2025 Wimbledon final. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
As the season’s final Slam progresses, both top-ranked players continue to march forward. Sinner advanced to the Round of 16 after a four-set win over Denis Shapovalov and will next face the winner of Tommy Paul vs Alexander Bublik. Alcaraz also booked a spot in the Round of 16 with a victory over Luciano Darderi and will meet France’s Arthur Rinderknech.
see also
Not Federer, Nadal or Djokovic: John McEnroe names the most talented player he’s ever seen
Djokovic and Zverev’s US Open path
The players highlighted by Rune as potential challengers to Sinner and Alcaraz remain firmly in contention at the US Open. Djokovic continues his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title and is set to face Jan-Lennard Struff in the Round of 16.
Zverev, meanwhile, finds himself in a very different position from the Serbian star but with a clear goal of his own: to capture the first Grand Slam title of his career. The German faces a difficult test tonight against Felix Auger-Aliassime, with a potential Round of 16 showdown against Andrey Rublev if he advances.
