Ex-ATP Pro Expresses Doubt Over Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s Budding Friendship

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz met six times this year, with the latter winning four of those matches.

Ex-ATP Pro Expresses Doubt Over Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s Budding Friendship

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

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The media is promoting the Jannik Sinner–Carlos Alcaraz friendship narrative a great deal, thanks to the duo being very vocal about their admiration and respect for each other. During the ATP Finals, they even practiced together and cracked some jokes, the clips of which did rounds on social media.

But former player Jack Sock is not ready to believe that the two youngsters are good friends yet. During the Nothing Major podcast, the 33-year-old said the tennis world is pushing the Alcaraz-Sinner friendship narrative because they are missing the camaraderie between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

I think Carlos would be more open to it based on his personality. I think Jannik seems very closed off to his bubble and to his people. I think tennis fans in general obviously loved the Roger-Rafa narrative and everything, and they are good friends. I think because they’re retired now and not around, people are feeling that so much that they’re pushing this every tournament.

Jack Sock said

Following the championship clash of the ATP Finals, where Sinner defended his crown with a straight-set win over the six-time Grand Slam champion, it was hard to distinguish who was the winner, as Alcaraz did not show any signs of disappointment on his face. In their overall head-to-head matchups, Sinner still trails 6-10, with his ATP Finals win being his second victory over Alcaraz in their last nine meetings.

I feel like every week now on X, you go on it, ‘Oh, Carlos and Jannik, look at this interaction they had as they’re passing by on the practice court. ‘ Just because you dab somebody up and smile doesn’t mean like you’re really close friends. Maybe it turns into that over the years with the rivalry and everything, but at the current moment, I think it’s being pushed way harder than reality.

Jack Sock added

Had Sinner and Alcaraz played the Davis Cup Finals, they would have gotten another chance to face off this year. Spain and Italy have reached the final, which is scheduled to start on November 23. Spain is bidding to win their first title since 2019, while Italy is aiming to complete what no team has achieved in the team event- a three-peat.

Feliciano Lopez thinks Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are more explosive than the Big 3

Thanks to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz‘s sheer dominance, comparisons between them and the Big 3- Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic– have only increased over the last two years. Davis Cup director Feliciano Lopez, who clashed against the Big 3 a combined 37 times, lost a match to Alcaraz and played one doubles match with the Italian, found from his experience and observation that the youngsters play faster than the legendary trio.

Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
In background – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal; In bubble – Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/t2, Jannik Sinner HQ)

I don’t know if Sinner and Alcaraz play faster, but similar. Perhaps they are more explosive at certain times, especially Alcaraz, although Sinner also moves very well, just in a different way.

Feliciano Lopez said at the press conference

Lopez lost the 13 matches he played against Federer, while against Djokovic, he trailed 1-9. Against Nadal, Lopez won four of the 14 matches they played against each other.

Federer and Nadal hung up their rackets at the 2022 Laver Cup and the 2024 Davis Cup, respectively. The 24-time Grand Slam champion ended the season with two ATP 250 titles, which he won in Geneva and Athens.

Sinner took home six titles from 10 finals, while his arch-rival emerged victorious in eight events. The former, despite starting the ATP Finals as the No.1 player and winning the title against Alcaraz, failed to clinch the year-end No. 1 trophy.

Also read: Davis Cup Director Admits the Event is Open to Changes Following Alexander Zverev’s Criticism