Jannik Sinner found his next frontier of tennis domination. Carlos Alcaraz wants to join him

What do Sinner and Alcaraz’s focuses say about the direction of men’s tennis? Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz had very different results at the Miami Open, but th

Welcome back to the Tennis Briefing, where The Athletic will explain the stories behind the stories from the past week on court. This week, there were Sunshine Triples, a lot of very potent serving, and a clip that exposed how tennis needs to bless its mess more often. If you’d like to follow our fantastic tennis coverage, click here .

What do Sinner and Alcaraz’s focuses say about the direction of men’s tennis? Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz had very different results at the Miami Open, but the two best male players in the world are looking to get every edge they can find in the same area: The serve. Sinner, who won the tournament and with it his first Sunshine Double, has sharpened his delivery in 2026, hitting the ball both faster than he did in 2025 and closer to the lines.

Sinner, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall, finds it a little easier to blend speed with accuracy than his 5-11 / 6 feet rival. As of the end of the Miami Open, his combination of speed and precision is the most devastating among the ATP Tour’s top 10: This has offset a decline in Sinner's supremacy in longer exchanges. On average, he wins 57 percent of rallies that go nine shots or longer, but in 2026, that figure is down to 53 percent (the average for the men's tour as a whole).