Article by David Istrate – Published on Wednesday, 07 January 2026, 20:40 / Updated on Wednesday, 07 January 2026 20:45
Pat Cash (60), Wimbledon champion in 1987, spoke about the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz (22, 1 ATP) and Jannik Sinner (24, 2 ATP) and explained why he thinks she is not healthy for tennis. The former Australian athlete also named several players who can threaten the dominance of the world's top two tennis players.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the players who have dominated tennis for the past two years, are preparing for a demonstration tour in South Koreaafter which they will go to Australia to participate in the first Grand Slam tournament in 2026.
Pat Cash named 5 players who can give Alcaraz and Sinner trouble
Ahead of the Australian Open, former world No. 4 Pat Cash spoke about the rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner and expressed doubts about the dominance advantage the two rivals have imposed on the men's circuit.
“It's a race for two, and I don't think that's necessarily a healthy thing. We want to see those big finals between them, like the one at Roland Garros, which raised the bar so high that everyone wants to repeat it. We all want another thrilling five-set match with points won from all angles, but that can't always happen,” Cash said, as quoted by Punto de Break.
“So it's a two-man race, and if one of them has a bad day and gets eliminated, the tournament organizers will be worried. Everyone expects Alcaraz and Sinner to reach the final and repeat what they did at Roland Garros. Everyone's holding their breath hoping that these two guys will advance, and that's not necessarily healthy,” he added.
Cash made a comparison to the women's circuit, which is much more balanced, and named a few players who can give Alcaraz and Sinner problems: Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti, Alexander Bublik and Jack Draper.
These two are the best in the world, there's no doubt about it, but Novak Djokovic will blow their necks as long as he keeps playing. And if we look at Taylor Fritz, he's pushing to get on the podium.
I am thinking of Lorenzo Musetti, who could be one of those who enter the fray, given his excellent performance last year. The same goes for Alexander Bublik, who has incredible talent.
The one I thought should challenge Alcaraz and Sinner was Jack Draper, but he's been struggling with injuries. He is the one who has the necessary strength, but unfortunately for him, he struggled to stay on the field, which is a great shame
– Pat Cash
Pat Cash played tennis from 1982-2006, having a record of 238-148 in singles and 147-110 in doubles. He won Wimbledon in 1987, reached the final of the Australian Open twice (1987, 1988) and stopped once in the semi-finals of the US Open (1984).
At Wimbledon, Cash has two doubles finals as well (1984, 1985). The Australian also won the Davis Cup twice, in 1983 and 1986.
Pat Cash at Wimbledon 2023/Photo: Getty Images
