Whispers were swiftly silenced by Mark Petchey, the former professional player who briefly coached Raducanu earlier this year.

For years, tennis fans were spoiled by the golden era of the Big Three — Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal — who didn’t just dominate the sport but also elevated each other to legendary heights every time they stepped on court. Now, with that chapter closing, a new rivalry has taken center stage: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.