Former tennis player Ion Țiriac weighed in on the race to rewrite tennis history, backing Jannik Sinner over Carlos Alcaraz. He pointed to Sinner’s dominance on the ATP Tour and expressed a strong belief that the Italian has the game and consistency to challenge Roger Federer’s longstanding record.

Jannik Sinner recently defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte Carlo Masters in straight sets with a score of 7-6(5), 6-3. The win marked Sinner’s return to the World Number 1 ranking, surpassing a massive 13,000 points for the first time in his career.

As the Italian continues his pursuits in the clay season, former World No. 55 Ion Țiriac, whose net worth is estimated at $2.4 billion, spoke about Jannik Sinner’s rise during an appearance on Rai, an Italian radio station. He pointed to Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon Championships titles, saying Sinner has the tools to surpass it, even in competition with Carlos Alcaraz.

Țiriac also backed Sinner as a potential calendar Grand Slam contender, noting that no one has achieved the feat since Rod Laver, and suggested the Italian’s all-surface consistency could put him in position to challenge that mark.

“Sinner is worth at least €100 million a year, more than double that of a footballer. I think he has the potential to achieve the calendar Grand Slam. The last person to do it was Rod Laver fifty years ago, but it’s time someone did it again. Hopefully, it will be Jannik. He can easily surpass 20. What he needs is simply someone to help him plan his schedule. Which Grand Slam tournament can he win multiple times? In my opinion, Wimbledon. He can aim to break Roger Federer’s record of eight titles,” he said.

Jannik Sinner opens up about defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the Monte Carlo Masters

Jannik Sinner spoke about his match against Carlos Alcaraz in a post-match press conference. He described the conditions as unusual, pointing to strong winds and cooler temperatures throughout the match.

According to him, the heavier, less bouncy ball actually made rallies slightly easier to manage overall.

“It was a very strange match, because it was very windy. The conditions were not warm, which, you know, the ball is less bouncy that [makes it] a little bit easier to play tennis in general. We both were slightly tired, because, you know, at the end of the tournament it’s normal that you feel this way. A lot of tension for both of us,” he said.

Sinner expressed that both he and his opponent played well, but small details would make the difference going forward. The Italian added that he expects improvements as the season progresses and hopes to push his limits even further.