{"id":1928993,"date":"2026-05-11T09:15:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T06:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1928993"},"modified":"2026-05-11T09:15:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T06:15:52","slug":"alexander-zverev-ranks-jannik-sinner-and-carlos-alcaraz-on-clay-after-his-controversial-comments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1928993","title":{"rendered":"Alexander Zverev ranks Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on clay after his controversial comments"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Alexander Zverev ranks Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on clay after his controversial comments<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/ewan-west\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Ewan West                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"11 May 2026 10:15 AM\" data-ps-date=\"11 May 2026 10:15 AM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1778490952\"><br \/>\n                            11 May 2026 10:15 AM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" 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border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Alexander Zverev ranks Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on clay after his controversial comments\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Alexander-Zverev-Jannik-Sinner-Carlos-Alcaraz-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Alexander Zverev with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz inset                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Alexander Zverev has compared Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s level on clay after his much discussed recent comments about the duo.<\/p>\n<p>World No 1 Sinner has won the first two clay-court Masters 1000 tournaments of the season in Monte Carlo and Madrid, and he is the heavy favourite to add the Italian Open crown to his collection.<\/p>\n<p>Alcaraz, who lost to Sinner in the Monte Carlo final, was forced to cut short his clay season due to a wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open. The world No 2 pulled out of Madrid, Rome and the French Open.<\/p>\n<p>After he was destroyed 6-1, 6-2 by Sinner in the Madrid title match, world No 3 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/alexander-zverev\">Zverev<\/a> claimed that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/jannik-sinner\">Sinner<\/a> is ahead of \u201ceverybody else\u201d and contentiously placed himself in a category with Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, I think there\u2019s a big gap between [Jannik] Sinner and everybody else right now,\u201d said the German.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s quite simple. I think there\u2019s a big gap between Sinner and everybody else.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I think there\u2019s a big gap between [Carlos] Alcaraz, myself, maybe Novak [Djokovic], and everybody else. I think there are two gaps right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>More Tennis News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/alexander-zverev-blunt-grand-slam-comments-arnaud-clement\"><strong>\u2018Alexander Zverev won\u2019t be able to say he did everything he could to win a Grand Slam\u2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/alex-eala-rankings-rise-carlos-alcaraz-rankings-drop-djokovic-injury-fear\"><strong>Alex Eala\u2019s rankings rise, Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s rankings drop and Djokovic\u2019s injury fear<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"noopener nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In his press conference after beating Alexander Blockx in the third round at the Italian Open, Zverev was asked what difference <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/carlos-alcaraz\">Alcaraz<\/a>\u2018s absence makes to him and other players.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean, I think the biggest difference is probably makes for Jannik because he\u2019s now really, really the heavy favourite,\u201d said Zverev.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCarlos on a clay court when he\u2019s healthy, [is] equal or even above Jannik in favouritism, just purely on a clay court. Especially at Roland Garros, being a two-time champion there already.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut for me, I got to focus on the things that I can control and try to improve again to try to beat Jannik. That\u2019s the important thing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGetting there is also important, right? You can\u2019t talk about someone you might face in the finals before winning the first six matches.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor me, again, it\u2019s about focusing on the opponents in front of me at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The 28-year-old, who is the No 2 seed in Rome, was also asked to identify the biggest threat in his path to the final at the Foro Italico.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s young guys who are playing great tennis,\u201d Zverev said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[Dino] Prizmic is definitely one of them that is playing great tennis. There are the guys that we know about.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to go match by match. That\u2019s the most important thing, not to look too far ahead, focus on the things that you can control.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLast week Blockx was in the semi-finals. He beat everybody. He bet Casper Ruud, Felix [Auger-Aliassime], all the favourites to go to the semi-final.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn tennis, you never know. Each week is different. I just focus on the opponents that are in front of me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/jack-draper-jannik-sinner-carlos-alcaraz-juan-martin-del-potro-gabriela-sabatini-interview\">Juan Martin del Potro and Gabriela Sabatini gives their verdict on Jack Draper\u2019s potential<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alexander Zverev ranks Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz on clay after his controversial comments Ewan West 11 May 2026 10:15 AM Alexander Zverev with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz inset Alexander Zverev has compared Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s level on clay after his much discussed recent comments about the duo. World No 1 Sinner [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-1928993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1928993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1928993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1928993\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1928993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1928993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1928993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}