Carlos Alcaraz Explains Why He Watched Jannik Sinner Dive into Pool After Monte Carlo Win: “It’s Not Like We Go Out to Dinner Together”

Jannik Sinner now holds a 7-10 head-to-head record over his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Carlos Alcaraz Explains Why He Watched Jannik Sinner Dive into Pool After Monte Carlo Win: “It’s Not Like We Go Out to Dinner Together”

Carlos Alcaraz watched Jannik Sinner jump into the pool (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, 4K JANNIK SINNER)

In Short
  • Carlos Alcaraz lost his No.1 ranking to Jannik Sinner after a defeat in the Monte-Carlo Masters final.
  • Alcaraz and Sinner maintain a respectful rivalry on and off the court, despite perceptions of a friendly relationship.
  • Sinner's victory improved his head-to-head record against Alcaraz to 7-10, marking his second consecutive win over him.

Carlos Alcaraz suffered a straight-set defeat at the hands of Jannik Sinner in the final of the Monte-Carlo Masters. And because he failed to defend the title, he lost his No.1 ranking to the Italian.

After the match, the seven-time Grand Slam champion watched his arch-rival dive into the pool, which has become a tradition for the champions of the third Masters 1000 of the season. Alcaraz also recorded the moment on his phone, and the clips and photos have gone viral.

Some fans once again started questioning whether the rivalry has become too friendly. But Alcaraz made it clear in the pre-tournament press conference in Barcelona that they are fierce rivals on the court, but it won’t change their off-court bond.

Jannik and I have a very good relationship. It’s not like we go out to dinner together, but both he and his team are wonderful people. Beyond what we fight for on the court, our personalities off the court aren’t going to change. And that’s shown in the respect we have for each other. After the final, I was walking to my room, and I saw him jump, and I stayed to watch the moment.

The victory has helped the World No.1 improve his head-to-head record over Alcaraz to 7-10, and it was also his second consecutive win against the two-time French Open champion. It was also the second time Sinner defeated the former World No.1 in a clay event final.

The South Tyrol native captured his career’s first title on this surface against Alcaraz in the 2022 Croatia Open. Sinner, who also completed the Sunshine Double, will not be playing the ATP 500 event in Barcelona. The four-time Grand Slam champion has also become only the second player, after Novak Djokovic, to complete the Sunshine Double and win the title in The Principality in the same year.

Carlos Alcaraz on Jannik Sinner’s improvement on clay

Jannik Sinner is now a two-time champion on clay. Last year, he played two finals on the surface, losing both to Carlos Alcaraz. He made his comeback to the tour at the Italian Open and suffered a straight-set defeat at the hands of Alcaraz, who snatched the win in the French Open final. In the pre-tournament press conference in Barcelona, Alcaraz talked about Sinner’s improvement on clay.

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

I’m happy to see Jannik improving. He’s said the clay court season isn’t his favorite, and I’m glad because he’s the player who pushes me to be better, makes me stop and think so I can improve, try to beat him, and I’m happy he’s making giant strides on this surface. When we face each other, there’s no favorite regardless of the court.

Because Sinner has been playing continuous tennis, he wants to give his body some rest and hinted at skipping the Madrid Open, where he has no points to defend. If Alcaraz plays in the Spanish capital and Sinner skips, the latter might lose the No.1 ranking.

But Alcaraz’s victory at the Barcelona Open will also make him the World No.1 once again. Nothing other than a title will take the home favorite to the top position. Alcaraz will start his campaign against qualifier Otto Virtanen.

The 22-year-old finished the tournament as the runner-up last year, losing to Holger Rune, who will not be playing this year as he is recovering from an Achilles injury. Alcaraz is a former champion in Barcelona, winning in 2023 by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He now has 3,330 points to defend in the remaining four clay-court tournaments. In Paris, he will be bidding to complete the three-peat, while Sinner will be bidding to complete the Career Grand Slam.

Also read: Thomas Enqvist Shares Plans for Matteo Berrettini After the Italian’s Resurgence in Monte Carl