“Carlos Alcaraz is playing the way Jannik Sinner should” – Spencer Segura and Jimmy Connors discuss key improvements the Italian needs to make

American former tennis players Jimmy Connors and Spencer Segura recently discussed the key improvements Jannik Sinner needs to make in his game. Segura suggested he should play attacking tennis like Carlos Alcaraz.

Connors made a name for himself in tennis by winning a record 109 singles titles, including eight Grand Slams, on the tour between 1972 and 1996. Segura, on the other hand, had a less decorated career.

Connors and Segura share a special bond in the way that the latter's father, Pancho Segura, coached the eight-time Grand Slam champion in his teen years. Notably, Connors and Segura also played doubles together.

The two recently sat down for a conversation in an episode of the Advantage Connors podcast. Among several other things, they talked about Jannik Sinner's game making comparisons with the Italian's rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Segura suggested that Sinner should be proactive on the court like Alcaraz does despite not having an effective serve.

"He [Jannik Sinner] has got a monster serve, if he hits it in, he’s got a big first serve that Alcaraz doesn’t have but he’s doing it. He’s playing the way Sinner should," Segura said (at 11:50).

At this, Connors offered a slightly contrasting view that if the Spaniard possessed one attribute of the Italian's game, the other aspects of his game might get less effective.

"Isn’t that the way it normally goes though? I mean, if Alcaraz for instance, had a serve as big as Sinner, maybe his forehand and the rest of his game, the movement and everything might not be so good," Connors said.

Segura countered:

"Right, but I mean you didn’t have a huge serve but if a guy hits short on you and you’re up 30-0, you’re gonna be in on him. You’re gonna hit an approach shot or a shot that pulled him off the court."

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"Every time Jannik Sinner’s up 30-0 and he hits a big serve, he should pick the point on the rise and finish the point" - Spencer Segura

Jannik Sinner

In the same episode of the Advantage Connors podcast, Spencer Segura advised Jannik Sinner to shorten the rally whenever he lands the first serve big.

"Once this guy learns to punish you when he makes the first serve as opposed to get into a point with you… every time he’s up 30-0 and he hits a big serve, he should pick the point on the rise and finish the point," Segura said.

Sinner is currently nursing a hip injury and was forced to pull out from his quarterfinal match against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recently concluded 2024 Madrid Open.

The Italian has pulled out of the 2024 Italian Open as well. Notably, Carlos Alcaraz too won't be competing in Rome as he suffers from an arm injury.