Menšík caused a major upset by ending Sinner's winning streak, and Alcaraz's prediction that the Sinner-Alcaraz final would not happen proved prophetic.

Is Sinner’s dominant mindset on hard courts still intact? Could Alcaraz pull further ahead in the race for Grand Slam titles? These doubts surfaced immediately after the Italian’s shocking defeat to Menšík at the Doha 500.

After his loss to Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals, Sinner had remained sidelined until Doha, where his comeback sparked high expectations for his showing at this Middle Eastern hard court tournament.

Facing the Czech rising star Menšík in the Doha quarterfinals, Sinner was undoubtedly the favorite. Before the match, most predicted that the Italian would win comfortably in straight sets.

The reasoning was that after his defeat to Djokovic in Melbourne, Sinner’s comments revealed his frustration, signaling his strong desire to prove he remains the king of hard courts. Regardless of the $1.2 million appearance fee offered by the Doha organizers, he was expected to fight hard to reach the final and set up a much-anticipated clash with Alcaraz, making up for the missed “Sincaraz” final at the Australian Open.

Therefore, with the final still some distance away, there was no chance given to Menšík for an upset.

However, after a gripping 2-hour and 11-minute battle, Sinner not only failed to win in straight sets as expected but was surprisingly defeated in three tough sets by the Czech newcomer, shocking the tennis world!

Sinner’s exit in the Doha quarterfinals meant the eagerly awaited “Sincaraz” final once again ended prematurely in the new season.

Earlier, the Milan Sports Daily revealed that the organizers offered $1.2 million appearance fees to both Sinner and Alcaraz to participate, and many believed that these two post-2000 stars would meet in the final, driven by personal ambition and the financial incentive. However, while Alcaraz advanced steadily, Sinner unexpectedly faltered, disappointing fans and dashing the hopes of the Doha event organizers.

Sinner’s loss to Menšík also ended Italy’s 12-match winning streak in 500-level tournaments and marked the first time in two and a half years since the 2023 Shanghai Masters that he lost on hard courts to a player outside the top 10.

Currently, the public’s focus is not on the abrupt end of this 500-level winning streak but rather on whether the dominant Sinner, who conquered hard courts last year, can make a comeback in the 2026 season.

Looking at Sinner’s defeats to Djokovic in Melbourne and Menšík in Doha, one common thread is that he mostly controlled the matches. Ultimately, he lost because he was less effective than his opponents in handling critical points.

Some express concern that after Alcaraz parted ways with his veteran coach Ferrero, his breakthrough at the Australian Open—becoming the youngest male player in history to complete a career Grand Slam—shows his abilities have advanced. In contrast, Sinner’s issues, though not severe, are somewhat critical. If he performs like this at the upcoming French Open and Wimbledon, and if Alcaraz isn’t stopped early by other dark horses, it will be difficult for Sinner to compete with the Spaniard, allowing Alcaraz to widen the gap in Grand Slam titles.

Now, some of Alcaraz’s supporters jokingly say that since no one else can challenge him and Sinner’s performance in key rounds is worrying, they are eagerly awaiting whether “Duck Duck” can surpass his Australian Open Grand Slam feat by winning the calendar Grand Slam this year. Others respond that if Alcaraz achieves this, it would shake the tennis world to its core and boost his commercial value to unprecedented heights, creating a new legend in tennis!

Of course, some believe Sinner’s loss to Menšík is quite normal, given the Czech’s strength and ability to defeat any top player, including Sinner.

There is no need to worry excessively about Sinner’s defeat; it’s simply bad luck to face a well-form form and opportunistic Menšík. In fact, this loss might benefit Sinner by making him more aware of his current shortcomings, helping him adjust and perform better in upcoming major tournaments.

Additionally, Sinner’s early exit from the anticipated “Sincaraz” final unexpectedly boosted Alcaraz’s popularity.

“Everyone expects us to meet in finals regularly, but that’s very difficult since many players want to beat us,” Alcaraz said with a smile after reaching the quarterfinals, when asked about the expected “Sincaraz” final in Doha. He candidly admitted that someone would give their all to defeat either him or Sinner along the way, making a final showdown unlikely.

At first, people thought Alcaraz was just being modest, but his prediction quickly came true when Sinner was eliminated by Menšík shortly afterward. Some fans and netizens now jokingly call Alcaraz a “new generation prophet” for his uncanny accuracy!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Sky)