How does Alcaraz trap Sinner in the backhand corner? Like Nadal used to do against Federer

This weekend, after 20 years, Rafael Nadal wouldn't be competing for the French Open title. Novak Djokovic will be there, but in a way, he too isn't in the competition to take the Cup home. At 38, he looks too jaded, too uninspired to win five-setters on clay against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the 20-something stars ready to conquer the world.Generational shifts can take a toll on fans. It's tempting to get wistful about the end of tennis's golden age, entertain thoughts of staying aloof to the happenings at Roland Garros. It’s also a guilt-ridden ordeal to switch loyalties, root for the new stars when the old ones are still around. But like market analysts love to say during every churn — it is always wise to stay invested.

- GNS News Agency, May 29

The new crowd-pullers, Alcaraz and Sinner are still works in progress but there is a bit of the Biggest 3 in the current Top 2. Watch Alcaraz, and Sinner carefully to stumble upon a few snatches of the incredible era that has just passed us. When the two face-off — like they did in the Italian Open this week and a repeat is expected this French Open — there is a whiff of those many iconic duels that divided the world that felt lucky to have lived in the Age of GOATs. Not full-length blockbusters to match the classics, but reels and shorts. At Rome where Alcaraz won 7-6, 6-1, there were those fleeting moments that reminded of the cat & mouse hustle of Federer vs Nadal vs Djokovic match days. Alcaraz beating Sinner on his home ground wasn't a match for ages. Historically, the Spaniard has the Italian's number, he mostly gets the better of him. But it is not to say Sinner didn’t have a chance or that his straight sets loss didn’t have intrigue or promise of a riveting rivalry in the future. Not quite the teaser, it was more of a prequel before the French Open. Like it was on Italian clay last Sunday, when the two meet, rallies are expected to be on one side of the court — a series of backhand cross-courts by two hard-hitting right-handers stationed slightly on the left of the court. Both would try to press the other to hit a soft return probably around the mid-court so that they can unleash their big inside out forehand. Whoever manages to play percentage tennis — deep incisive shots on the rival's backhand — would be favourite to win. In Rome, Alcaraz did it and so he won. This trend was best captured by that one crucial point that decided the match. Sinner was a point away from taking the first set, he led 6-5, 40-30. This was