Carlos Alcaraz Reveals the Most Difficult Part of His Rivalry with Jannik Sinner on Tour

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner won fourteen titles combined this season.

Carlos Alcaraz Reveals the Most Difficult Part of His Rivalry with Jannik Sinner on Tour

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

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have had an incredible 2025 season, dominating the men’s circuit. For the past two seasons, the two top stars have maintained a higher level than other players, making their rivalry more competitive. Alcaraz has revealed what the most difficult part of the rivalry on tour is.

Alcaraz and Sinner are, without a doubt, the best players on the ATP Tour. The two men have shared the past eight Grand Slams, coming in the last two years. This year, the Spaniard claimed the French Open and the US Open, while Sinner won the Australian Open in Melbourne and the Wimbledon Championships.

The duo has also shown their competitiveness on the court, which has seen them win fourteen titles combined this year. Alcaraz got the larger share of titles, having won eight crowns, while Sinner claimed six, including four in his last five tournaments before the 2025 season ended.

Alcaraz leads their head-to-head record 10-6 on tour. He won four of their last six meetings on the court. However, Sinner won their last meeting at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he defeated the 22-year-old in straight sets. Before that, Alcaraz defeated the Italian star in four sets in the final of the US Open.

Sinner and Alcaraz will compete in an exhibition tournament on January 10 at the Incheon Inspire Arena in South Korea. With high anticipation for the clash, Alcaraz was asked what the most difficult part of his rivalry with Sinner was during an interview with TennisKorea. The Spaniard revealed that he has to always maintain an absolute top level when facing Sinner:

He’s powerful offensively, and his defense is speedy and stable. He’s absolutely dominant in the 2025 season, winning two Grand Slams, the ATP Finals, and remaining in contention for the world No. 1 spot until the very end. Playing against him isn’t enough. You have to maintain a high level of focus throughout the match, and there’s no room for a moment of complacency. He’s a player you have to give 100% from the first point to the last to create a chance of winning.

Their South Korean tournament will be their second exhibition event, where Sinner and Alcaraz will face each other after the Six Kings Slam. The World No.1 and No.2 met each other at the Six Kings Slam last year, with Sinner defeating Alcaraz in straight sets. The four-time Grand Slam champion then defeated his arch-rival at this year’s edition in September.

Carlos Alcaraz compares the competition with Jannik Sinner with Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry

Several former players and pundits have often compared the rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to that of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Federer and Nadal dominated the men’s circuit for more than a decade on tour before Novak Djokovic rose to make the competition more fierce.

Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner Roger Federer Rafael Nadal
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (via The Tennis Letter)

Sinner and Alcaraz have almost achieved the same kind of tempo that Federer and Nadal showed during their playing days. During the aforementioned interview, Alcaraz revealed that their rivalry is getting closer to the height of Federer and Nadal’s own:

Rivalries in sports are a powerful element that fuels fan interest, and I, too, was inspired by the rivalry between Rafa and Roger as I grew up. Yannick and I have already faced each other on many major stages and have had intense matches. We’ve faced each other in several Grand Slam finals, and I believe we make each other stronger.

Federer and Nadal met 40 times on the court, with the latter leading 24-16 in their head-to-head record. Federer won consecutive matches just three times in their rivalry, and won more than two in a row just once, while Nadal dominated their rivalry, having won their first meeting at the Miami Open in 2004.

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