Overview
- Speaking in Rome after beating Alexander Blockx at the Italian Open, Alexander Zverev said Carlos Alcaraz’s layoff makes Jannik Sinner the heavy favorite on clay, especially at Roland Garros.
- Zverev first laid out his "two gaps" view after his 6-1, 6-2 loss to Sinner in the Madrid final, placing himself with Alcaraz and possibly Novak Djokovic behind Sinner and ahead of the rest.
- World No. 1 Sinner has swept the season’s first two clay Masters, winning Monte Carlo and Madrid to build momentum into Rome.
- Alcaraz injured his wrist at the Barcelona event and has withdrawn from Madrid, Rome and the French Open, removing a two-time Roland Garros champion from the field.
- Reactions split the pundits, with Jim Courier calling Zverev’s tier idea nearly perfect and Tracy Austin saying she was shocked and ranking Sinner and Alcaraz above Zverev.