Former British No.1 Gives his Opinion on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Relationship on Tour

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner met six times this season with the former winning four and the latter two.

Former British No.1 Gives his Opinion on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s Relationship on Tour

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

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry has been one of respect and kindness both on and off the court. The two top stars in the men’s circuit have often spoken well of each other and maintained a good standing. Former British No.1 Tim Henman has pointed out some things about their relationship on tour.

Alcaraz and Sinner have just concluded an enthralling season of great competition between each other. Both players, once again, finished as the top two-ranked players in the ATP rankings, having swapped spots at the ATP Finals in Turin. Alcaraz finished the year as World No.1, beating the Italian star by just 550 points.

However, Sinner claimed the ATP Finals in Turin after beating Alcaraz in straight sets. The win was the 24-year-old’s second victory over the Spaniard since the start of last season. Alcaraz has beaten the Italian star on seven occasions within that period, including four this season and in two Grand Slam finals.

Alcaraz currently leads their head-to-head record 10-6 on tour. He also leads in the number of titles won this season, eight, compared to Sinner’s six. Despite their competitiveness on the court, both players still show overwhelming respect for each other and seem to maintain a unique friendliness off the court.

Many former players have compared their rivalry to the one that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had. During a conversation on Sky Sports, Tim Henman praised Alcaraz and Sinner for overtaking several top players on tour before adding that they both have unique respect for one another on tour:

The way these two have emerged and overtaken the group that were [Alexander] Zverev, [Daniil] Medvedev and [Stefanos] Tsitsipas, they’ve established themselves as clearly the two best players and at the age of 22 and 23 they’ve already played each other 15 times. Rivalries are so important and on the greatest stage. They’re elevating each other’s game and their relationship is so good. On and off the court they’ve got so much respect for each other, but they are different characters.

Sinner had the better end to the season than Alcaraz as he won four titles from his last five tournaments. He claimed the China Open after beating Learner Tien in the final and then won the Vienna Open after overcoming Alexander Zverev in three sets. He claimed two titles this month in Paris and Turin.

Former WTA player says Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz always know when to improve on their game

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are levels ahead of other players in terms of their game as they evolve faster due to their rivalry. They are also tough mentally and technically on the court, getting out of difficult circumstances and winning matches despite not being at their best on the court.

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

During the aforementioned conversation, Former WTA player Laura Robson revealed that Sinner and Alcaraz often know when they need to perfect certain areas of their game even though they are winning. She added that they bring out the best in each other on tour with their competitiveness:

The thing I’m loving the most is how they want to challenge each other at the moment. They want to bring out the best in each other in a way because they know they can’t rest on their laurels. They know the five per cent increases are going to make all the difference and they’re getting better on all surfaces.

Alcaraz and Sinner are not playing at the ongoing Davis Cup Finals in Bologna. They both pulled out of the tournament, with the former citing injury and the latter claiming he needed rest. They will now look to take advantage of the off-season and prepare properly for the new season, which kicks off in late December.

Also Read: Boris Becker Opens Up About the State of His Relationship With Alexander Zverev Amid Heavy Criticism