The two leading figures in men's tennis both progressed at the French Open on Monday (26.05.25) and McEnroe is hopeful that the pair will frequently clash in the biggest matches as Djokovic and Nadal did during their careers.

Speaking on TNT Sports' coverage of Roland Garros, the American legend said: "It is going to be interesting for a long time to see these two go at it. I hope they go at it as much as Djokovic and Nadal but that was like 60 times. That would be amazing.

"It is going to be formidable for anyone to beat those guys."

Alcaraz has come out on top in his last four matches against Sinner and McEnroe gives the Spaniard the edge when the pair are performing at their peak.

The seven-time major champion said: "These two have stepped up and are the cream of the crop. Alcaraz can do everything, he is amazing, I love watching him. He throws everything at you.

"Sinner is so good at the baseline, anticipation is awesome. The way Carlos is playing, on a clay court, he has a bit of an edge on Sinner.

"To me, if they both came out and brought their A+ games, Alcaraz is slightly better, he has a little bit more to his game.

"If they are playing A- games, Sinner is slightly better. If they are a little bit off and Carlos gets a little impatient..."

McEnroe battled greats such as Jimmy Connors and Ivan Lendl frequently during his career and would love to see a long-term rivalry develop between Sinner and Alcaraz.

He said: "I played Connors 33 times, I played Lendl 36. You don’t get that level very often. It is rather remarkable.

"I don’t have it in front of me, I think it is 6-4 Alcaraz [7-4]. Let’s hope we get at least another 20 to 30 minimum."