Although the twins dominate the tennis world, there is a huge gap in their statistics, and Sinner has a major hidden risk!

Three ATP tournaments are currently underway, but the twins Alcaraz and Sinner have opted to watch from the sidelines. Both are expected to compete in the Doha tournament scheduled for this month.

Both players reached the Australian Open semifinals, yet they differ greatly in one statistic: their success rate in matches exceeding 3 hours and 50 minutes.

Alcaraz has played 16 such matches and won 15, while Sinner has played 9 and lost all. Who exactly defeated them? Let's find out.

All 16 of Alcaraz’s matches occurred at Grand Slam events, including two at the Australian Open: a semifinal win over Zverev this year (the second longest match by time) and his only loss in these 16 matches, which was to Berrettini at the 2022 Australian Open.

Four of these matches took place at the French Open, including last season’s final victory over Sinner (the longest match by time), the final two years ago beating Zverev, a semifinal win over Sinner two years ago, and a compatriot derby against his mentor Ramos in 2022.

Wimbledon accounts for the most matches, with six in total: the 2023 final win over Djokovic, last season’s narrow victory against veteran Italian Fognini, a 2021 win over an Asian player, a 2022 win over German veteran Struff, a tough 2023 victory over former Chilean No.1 Jarry, and a notable 2024 win over two-time US Open semifinalist Tiafoe.

The US Open is where Alcaraz claimed his first Grand Slam title, with two matches lasting that long: a 2022 quarterfinal win over Sinner and a victory against former champion Cilic.

Similarly, Sinner’s nine losses also span the four Grand Slams: three at the Australian Open, three at the French Open, one at Wimbledon, and two at the US Open. At the Australian Open, he lost this year to Djokovic, in 2021 to Shapovalov, and in 2023 to Tsitsipas. At that time, Sinner had yet to develop into a top hard-court player and often fell to Tsitsipas.

Apart from his defeat by Alcaraz, Sinner was surprisingly upset by Altmaier at the 2023 French Open, exiting early. At Wimbledon, he lost in the quarterfinals to Medvedev, marking the only recent defeat in their head-to-head. As for the US Open, besides losing to Alcaraz in that crucial showdown, his 2023 loss to Zverev was part of his growth path toward becoming the new hard-court king.

These two now jointly dominate the current tennis scene, and even the greatest Djokovic in history struggles to break through the web they weave together. However, in Grand Slam battles, Sinner tends to prefer quick finishes; when matches drag on, he seems to struggle, as if stuck in quicksand.

In contrast, Alcaraz is accustomed to coming from behind. This difference between the two is quite intriguing. How will this record evolve in the future? Let’s keep watching!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Luo Cheng Qiye)