Former Italian tennis professional Paolo Bertolucci sparked controversy with his recent comments about Carlos Alcaraz’s mental strength compared to Jannik Sinner. Bertolucci, known for his achievements on the court and as a former Davis Cup captain for Italy, currently serves as a commentator for Sky Sports.
In a recent interview, he expressed his opinion that while Alcaraz possesses impressive technical and physical skills, he lags behind Sinner in terms of mental fortitude.
“In my opinion, Alcaraz is great technically, even physically, but mentally he is light years away from Sinner,” Bertolucci remarked.
Bertolucci elaborated on his observation, suggesting that Alcaraz’s penchant for showboating on the court sometimes leads to costly errors and a lack of focus. He emphasized the importance of maintaining composure, especially in critical moments of a match.
“He looks for something else besides just winning the point, many times he seems to have fun and involve the audience because he has a tennis made of ‘special effects’. He is not satisfied with just winning the point, he wants to do it with a double somersault,” Bertolucci explained.
While Bertolucci’s remarks stirred debate among tennis fans, some disagreed with his assessment, pointing out Alcaraz’s significant achievements and suggesting that both players have their strengths and weaknesses.
“Alcaraz won 2 GS, was #1 before Sinner and he is younger. That would mean he is mentally stronger. Stop the crazy hype. Both are good players and will have ups and downs throughout their careers,” one fan rebutted on social media.
