Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Patrick Mouratoglou’s back-and-forth over Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s dominance has taken a new turn. The former Australian Open finalist has hit back at Mouratoglou’s comments in defense of the two young stars, and regarding him and his peers.
It all started when Tsonga himself claimed that the current status quo of Alcaraz and Sinner lording over everyone has been due to lack of intense competition. He stated when Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic were dominating, the supporting cast of players such as David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, and himself, among others, gave them a run for their money.
Mouratoglou didn’t agree with Tsonga’s assessement. The former coach of Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka stated that Tsonga wouldn’t have been able to beat the likes of Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, and other top players of the current era if he played today.
Tsonga has now responded to Mouratoglou’s comments in a recent video he posted on his Instagram story, which was later shared on X (formerly Twitter). He commented that Mouratoglou will never know what it feels to be an actual pro, and because of that he isn’t fit to pass judgement in these matters.
“You’ll just remain the coach. You’ll never have felt what it’s like to be a tennis player, to enter the arena. You’re not the best person to give me lessons on the top level,” Tsonga said (translated from French).
While the drama surrounding them continues to unfold, Alcaraz and Sinner remain unbothered about the same. The two of them will begin their new season together in South Korea in a couple of days.
Carlos Alcaraz And Jannik Sinner To Square Off In An Exhibition In South Korea
While most of their contemporaries are already competing in Australia, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are yet to join them. The Spaniard competed in a few exhibition events in Deecember, and has been training back at home since then. He also parted ways with his long-time coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero a month ago.
Sinner, meanwhile, has been completely missing in action since his triumph at the ATP Finals. Neither player opted to compete in a traditional warm-up event prior to the Australian Open 2026. Instead, both of them will take part in the Hyundai Card Super Match in Incheon, South Korea, on January 10.
Sinner is the two-time defending champion at the Australian Open, and is bidding to claim his third successive title in Melbourne. Alcaraz, on the other hand, is gunning to complete a Career Grand Slam. The season’s first Major will commence on Sunday, January 18, and conclude with the men’s singles final on February 1.
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