Jannik Sinner Finally Opens up on Why He Struggles to Beat His Arch-Rival Carlos Alcaraz Ahead of Their Potential Clash at the Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz leads Jannik Sinner 7-4 in their head-to-head record and won their last meeting at the Rome Masters final last month.

Jannik Sinner Finally Opens up on Why He Struggles to Beat His Arch-Rival Carlos Alcaraz Ahead of Their Potential Clash at the Roland Garros

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Giovanni Pelazzo, Carlos Alcaraz)

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are on a collision course at the Roland Garros. The pair might potentially face each other in the final of the prestigious tournament, with Alcaraz aiming to defend the French Open title in Paris, while Sinner hopes to claim his first clay-court Grand Slam in his career.

Sinner has been blowing his rivals away with displays of brutal ball striking and movement on the court. He demolished Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 in the third round before putting up another masterclass performance to beat Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the fourth round. He’s yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, has dropped three sets already. Although he has been resilient enough to beat his opponents, he has, on three occasions at the Roland Garros, lacked concentration to finish the match early. His only straight sets win have been in the first round against Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and the demolition of Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals.

Nonetheless, Alcaraz has won his last four matches against Sinner. The Spaniard has always been at his best against the Italian star since last season. They met recently in the final of the Rome Masters, where Alcaraz won in straight sets. Ahead of their potential clash at the Roland Garros, Sinner revealed on Prime Video France why he always struggles against the World No.2:

I believe Carlos and I know before each match everything that is at stake…Sometimes I feel he has more options. He can hit a short slice and play long, his volleys are incredible, he has very good hands, and now he is serving very well. He is very physically strong. He possesses the qualities of the most special players.

Alcaraz currently leads Sinner 7-4 in their head-to-head record. The last time Sinner defeated the Spaniard was at the Beijing Open in 2023. Also, the last time the pair faced each other at the French Open, Alcaraz claimed the victory after five sets in the semi-finals last year.

Jannik Sinner says he always gets good “feedback” after each clash with Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz’s clash against Jannik Sinner has always been the most anticipated match-up in tournaments. This is because of the level of competitiveness that both players show. During the aforementioned interview, Sinner revealed that each time he plays against Alcaraz, he gets a lot of feedback on what he needs to improve on:

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Giovanni Pelazzo, Carlos Alcaraz)

Even when I lose, I always love playing against him because he gives me a lot of feedback on what I need to improve. I won’t answer why he beats me so much, because maybe other players might hear me, and I don’t want that to happen, but I think we all know why: he’s fast, physical, plays with tremendous intensity, he’s incredible.

At the Roland Garros, Sinner is just one win away from successfully defending his semi-final points last year. He could stretch his lead at the top of the ATP rankings to 4,330 points by winning the French Open. However, he currently leads Alcaraz by 2,730 points entering into the quarter-finals.

Alcaraz has 2,000 points to defend as the returning champion and could meet Sinner in the final. If Alcaraz successfully defends the title with Sinner in the final, the Italian would extend his lead to at least 3,000 points. But, if Sinner loses to Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals and Alcaraz wins the title, the Spaniard will reduce the gap to just 1,130 points.

Also Read: (Video) Aryna Sabalenka Trolls Novak Djokovic While Dancing to Her ‘Tiger’ Song After Moving Into Roland Garros Semifinal