Carlos Alcaraz expects the 2027 ATP Tour to involve more contenders than himself and Jannik Sinner, SGGP reported. Speaking after Vienna, he pointed to Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton as reasons to anticipate a wider challenge.
Rivals behind the assessment
Alcaraz praised Zverev after his Roland Garros and US Open titles this year. He also expects Shelton's first Grand Slam final in New York to increase the American's ambition.
SGGP placed the comments against Alcaraz and Sinner sharing the four Grand Slam titles in both 2024 and 2025, before injuries contributed to a different pattern in 2026.
Shelton lost his first US Open final to Zverev in four sets. Their results are the concrete examples Alcaraz highlighted in his assessment.
Preparation alongside unfinished business
He emphasised the importance of pre-season work, with players spending weeks improving their physical and sporting readiness. He rejected a simple division between two leading players and everyone else.
For context, the article recalled his seventh Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. After more than four months out with a wrist problem, he returned at the US Open and later won in Tokyo and Vienna.
His comments followed the Vienna final, where he beat Alex de Minaur 6-1, 6-4. The next commitments identified in the source are the Paris Masters and ATP Finals beginning November 15. Finishing the current season and preparing for the next will provide further evidence, while the 2027 competitive picture remains his forecast.