The last 10 players not named Alcaraz to beat Sinner

By Lee Seng Foo 14 hours ago

(Simon Bruty/USTA)

Jannik Sinner’s rise from elite contender to near-unstoppable force has transformed the ATP Tour into a weekly battle for survival.

Since the start of the 2024 season, the four-time Grand Slam champion has built an aura few players outside the peak years of the Big Three have managed to replicate. His consistency, relentless baseline pressure and composure under the biggest moments have turned him into the benchmark of men’s tennis.

With a 7-3 record across their last 10 meetings, Carlos Alcaraz has been the one player consistently capable of matching the Italian blow for blow. But with the Spaniard currently out injured, the rest of the ATP field has often looked helpless against Sinner’s dominance.

Following the 2026 Madrid Open, here are the last 10 players not named Carlos Alcaraz to beat Jannik Sinner on the ATP Tour.

 

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Jakub Menšík (2026 Qatar Open quarter-finals)

The Czech produced one of the biggest wins of his young career in Doha, snapping Sinner’s 22-match winning streak with a 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 victory. Although Menšík later lost to Arthur Fils in the semi-finals, the win over Sinner firmly established him as one of the ATP Tour’s most dangerous rising stars.

Novak Djokovic (2026 Australian Open semi-finals)

Djokovic rolled back the years in Melbourne, proving experience and tactical precision can still trouble the world No. 1. The Serbian recovered from a set down twice to secure a dramatic 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory, ending his four-match losing streak against Sinner and reminding the tour of his enduring threat at the majors.

Tallon Griekspoor (2025 Shanghai Masters Round of 32)

Griekspoor’s victory came under unfortunate circumstances after Sinner retired midway through the match due to physical discomfort. Still, the Dutchman deserved credit for matching Sinner’s intensity early on and applying consistent pressure from the baseline before the Italian was forced to stop.

Alexander Bublik (2025 Halle Open Round of 16)

Sinner entered Halle riding a 66-match winning streak against players ranked outside the world’s top 20 and appeared on course for another routine victory after taking the opening set. But Bublik flipped the match and stormed back to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 before eventually capturing his second Halle title.

Andrey Rublev (2024 Montreal Masters quarter-finals)

Rublev produced one of his cleanest attacking displays of the season to overpower Sinner in Canada. The Russian’s 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 victory also snapped a five-match losing streak against the Italian in their head-to-head rivalry.

Daniil Medvedev (2024 Wimbledon quarter-finals)

Medvedev’s tactical discipline and defensive resilience frustrated Sinner across a gruelling five-set battle on Centre Court. The Russian absorbed pace superbly and forced the Italian into uncomfortable exchanges en route to a 6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3 victory that denied Sinner a maiden Wimbledon semi-final appearance.

Stefanos Tsitsipas (2024 Monte Carlo Masters semi-finals)

Tsitsipas rediscovered some of his best clay-court form during his run to a third Monte Carlo title. His 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 semi-final win over Sinner proved the toughest match of his tournament and was also the only set he dropped all week.

Novak Djokovic (2023 ATP Finals)

After losing to Sinner during the group stage in Turin, Djokovic responded emphatically in the final. The Serbian delivered a clinical 6-3, 6-3 victory to secure a record seventh ATP Finals crown, once again showcasing his unmatched ability to adapt tactically over the course of a tournament.

Ben Shelton (2023 Shanghai Masters Round of 16)

Shelton’s explosive left-handed game overwhelmed Sinner in one of the defining wins of the American’s breakout season. After dropping the opening set, Shelton roared back to claim a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) victory.

Alexander Zverev (2023 US Open Round of 16)

Zverev survived a gruelling late-night battle against Sinner under the lights at Flushing Meadows. Relying heavily on his serve and backhand consistency, the German outlasted the Italian 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in a match lasting nearly five hours. In hindsight, it now looks like one of the final stretches before Sinner evolved into the ATP Tour’s dominant force.

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