Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner divide opinion ahead of the French Open

Carlos Alcaraz and have divided opinion over who is currently the best tennis player in the world as they compete for the title. Sinner and are currently eyeing success at Roland-Garros, where they both won their opening matches to progress to the second round of the iconic clay court tournament.

Sinner defeated Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets while Alcaraz also beat Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on Monday. It came just over a week after the pair went head-to-head , which the Spaniard won 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. Alcaraz came out on top in the pair's first Masters 1000 final meeting, having saved set points in a close opener before racing through the second to win. It marked the 22-year-old's seventh career win and fourth in a row over Sinner, who was taking part in his first tournament since .

As the action heats up at the French Open, Alcaraz will be eyeing his fifth Grand Slam, while three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner will be keen to equal the Spaniard's record. And several key figures from across the sport have now had their own say on who is currently the better player, while predicting who is more likely to win in Paris come June 8.

Tennis legend Andre Agassi recently highlighted what sets them apart in an interview with , where he pinpointed one advantage Alcaraz holds over the Italian. Agassi said: "Anything we can say will be more of a prediction than a reality, but, to me, the key is that Alcaraz is above whatever slippery conditions he may face; therein lies his great opportunity to be above Sinner.

"What impresses me most about Alcaraz, although I think he still has a lot of things to improve, is when I've seen him on grass or slippery clay, the way he slows down, especially compared to other faster opponents. I don't know how Alcaraz does it so that he doesn't drop all these components when he moves to the other surfaces, it's like a big spaceship playing against normal aeroplanes, so his strength, his balance and his ability to move are always there."

He went on to say that Alcaraz's legs are the key to his success, adding: "On grass, it's amazing how he gets to every ball, how he covers his drop shots, how he moves in that athletic way like it's nothing. I guess the secret is in his legs, where all that strength comes from. When he competes on these two surfaces, he has that advantage, as long as he is healthy and feels the ball well."

However, Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, backed his compatriot on . Speaking the day after the end of the 82nd edition of the Internazionali d'Italia, Binaghi stated that Sinner is the best player in the world despite losing the final.

He said: "Between the two of them, I keep Sinner all my life. He played badly in those two set points, especially the second one, when there was a long exchange and he came out with a long backhand out by a metre. Too bad for Jannik, we had two set points in the first set and also an unlucky tie-break. If we had one of those two points there, maybe we would be talking about a different story today. But that's the way tennis is, it's a diabolical and fascinating sport.

"Now, as the guys say, let's fly to Paris and try to win everything as always. But we mustn't forget that Jannik hadn't played for three months. We would have settled for two-three rounds, a quarter-final at most, but instead he went all the way. He proved that he is a great champion and that he is the strongest player in the world."

Italian icon Adriano Panatta also offered his thoughts in a column for in the aftermath of the recent final, acknowledging Alcaraz's superiority in Rome but backing Sinner to push on and overtake the 2024 French Open winner in the future.

Panatta wrote: "He [Sinner] has reminded everyone why he is number one. I wonder what the final would have been if Jannik had had the continuity that the three-month stop, so unfairly, robbed him of. Alcaraz played a real player's match. But well done also to Sinner, who played an even match as long as he could."

He boldly predicted: "I remain convinced that Sinner will win more than Alcaraz in their respective careers, because he is more consistent, while the Spaniard seems to be consistent only when he plays against the Italian."

Panatta, however, admitted that the Spaniard's peak is higher than Sinner's, adding: "There is no doubt that when Alcaraz manages to combine all the best things in his tennis, the level he manages to develop is the highest on the circuit."