Patrick Mouratoglou says Jannik Sinner’s mindset is a weak link compared to Carlos Alcaraz

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Jannik Sinner is now in a strong position to claim his first Roland Garros title and complete the Career Grand Slam after Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the tournament.

Alcaraz had to skip both the French Open and Italian Open because of a wrist injury that cropped up during the clay court season.

The Spaniard was aiming for a third straight title in Paris, having gone back-to-back last year with an incredible win over Sinner in what many called one of the best Grand Slam finals ever.

Sinner now steps into this year’s tournament as the clear favourite, looking to add a fifth major title to his resume.

He started his Grand Slam season with a semifinal defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

The match stretched just past four hours, and Serena Williams’ former coach Patrick Mouratoglou later commented that Sinner may have issues handling those kinds of high-pressure matches.

Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images

Patrick Mouratoglou: Sinner needs to improve his mentality

He posted on Instagram: “I’m sure you’ve seen that crazy statistic about Alcaraz and Sinner, about the matches that last 3 hours and 50 or more.

“Sinner has lost 9 out of 9, while Alcaraz has won 15 out of 16. I don’t think it’s a physical problem. The only other explanation possible is that it’s mental.

“Sinner, with his type of game, with his focus, finds a way to win the matches quite easily all year long. Jannik Sinner has won 88% of his matches in 2025 and 2026 so far without dropping a single set.

“While Alcaraz, in the same period of time, has won only 70% of the matches without dropping a set. Alcaraz has to fight and find solutions to win. Sinner doesn’t have to do it.

“He’s winning in straight sets in the immense majority of his matches. When it comes to very long matches, he has to find solutions to win, which is something that he doesn’t have to deal with most of the season, compared to Alcaraz, who has to deal with it.

“Some doubts can come in. Then it can affect your belief in your ability to find a solution.”

Jannik Sinner’s French Open results throughout his career

The only major title missing from Sinner’s collection is Roland Garros, and he came extremely close to completing the set last year.

Sinner had three match points in the final against Alcaraz but couldn’t convert, as the Spaniard rallied from two sets to one down to defend his title.

In 2025, Sinner reached the semi-finals, again facing Alcaraz. He led by a set before losing in five, with Alcaraz going on to beat Zverev in the final.

Sinner’s debut at Roland Garros in 2020 was also impressive. He made it to the quarterfinals before losing to Rafael Nadal, who was chasing a fourth straight title at the time.

Nadal would go on to win that tournament as well, taking his total Roland Garros titles to 13. The following year, Sinner fell in the third round.

Read more:

• Clay countdown: Daniil Medvedev’s candid take before Rome
• From hope to hindsight — Matteo Berrettini on the missed moment in Rome vs. Alexei Popyrin
• Jannik Sinner’s game‑changer: The single skill separating him from the pack