Jannik Sinner was once viewed as an explosive talent custom-built for hardcourt tennis but the four-times ​Grand Slam champion’s assiduous work on his patience and control has made him the man to beat on clay heading ‌into the French Open.

It had long been assumed that in his era-defining rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner would scoop up more Grand Slam titles on faster surfaces while the Spaniard would have the edge on red dirt.

Alcaraz, who has won seven majors, remains a formidable claycourt player and is the reigning Roland Garros champion but lost ​to Sinner in the Monte Carlo final earlier this month. He then suffered a wrist injury in Barcelona that has disrupted his ​preparations for Paris.

Sinner’s progression will continue this week in Madrid, which is at a higher altitude than the ⁠other European clay venues and quickens the pace of the surface, offering another opportunity for the 24-year-old to showcase his adaptability.

“Here it’s a very ​unique playing style,” Sinner said.

“It’s a very high altitude and it can be windy at times, so it’s very difficult to play. But I think ​every different kind of claycourt can help me as I’m trying to improve as a player.”

Results at the big tournaments seemingly offer little to choose between Sinner and Alcaraz over the last couple of years but former player and sports psychologist Jeff Greenwald believes he has identified some subtle differences emerging.

“Sinner, even more than Alcaraz, ​has this unflappable demeanour that is built from this deep love and appreciation of the process,” Greenwald told Reuters.

“He’s the poster child for mastery, ​a desire to be as good as he can be, which overrides the ever fluctuating, short-term obsession with this point, this win, that is almost always trading ‌the short-term ⁠result for longer-term success.”

–Reuters–