Jasmine Paolini Explains What Attracts Her to the Rivalry Between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz won fourteen titles combined, including all four Grand Slams this season.

Jasmine Paolini Explains What Attracts Her to the Rivalry Between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jasmine Paolini (via X/The Tennis Letter)

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Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are regarded as the two best players currently in the men’s circuit. Both players have impressed with their consistency on the court and have attracted more fans to the sport. WTA star Jasmine Paolini has now revealed what attracts her to their rivalry on tour.

For the past two seasons, no player has been able to reach the level of Sinner and Alcaraz on tour. For instance, this season, Sinner, who finished the year as World No.2, was over 5,000 points ahead of World No.3 Alexander Zverev. But the difference between Alcaraz at No.1 and Sinner was less than a thousand points.

That shows a clear demarcation between the two top stars and the rest of the players on tour. Sinner and Alcaraz’s rivalry has made both players evolve faster in their games as they always seek to get better after each meeting. They met six times this season, with Alcaraz winning four and Sinner two.

Also, they met thrice in Grand Slam tournaments and Alcaraz won two, while Sinner claimed just one of their meetings. The Spaniard leads Sinner 10-6 in their head-to-head record and has won six of their last eight meetings on tour. Furthermore, both players evenly shared the four Grand Slams in 2025.

However, their rivalry has also attracted fans and supporters, including fellow tennis players. One of them is Jasmine Paolini, who revealed during an interview with Sky Sports Italia that she loves Alcaraz and Sinner’s style of play. The former World No.5 added that she loves the rivalry that exists between the two:

I absolutely love it when Jannik hits the ball hard, I really enjoy that feeling, and I love the same feeling when I can hit it hard myself. Of course, Alcaraz also has a style of tennis that sometimes leaves you open-mouthed—they’re both incredible.

Alcaraz has played in two exhibition tournaments since the ATP Tour came to an end in November, but Sinner has yet to feature in any, but he was spotted at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday (December 7). The World No.1 defeated Joao Fonseca at the Miami Invitational on Monday (December 8) after losing to Frances Tiafoe in A Racquet at The Rock event in New Jersey a day before.

Jasmine Paolini adds Sara Errani to her coaching team ahead of the 2026 season

Jasmine Paolini has had a good run of form since last season in the WTA Tour that has helped her cement her place im the top 10. But she has also had more success in the doubles category alongside Sara Errani. Both players have established themselves as one of the most successful doubles pairs on tour, having won the Olympic gold medal in Paris last year and the Roland Garros title in June.

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini (via Sky Sports)
Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini (via Sky Sports)

However, Errani will turn 39 in April 2026, and her appearances in singles have even begun to reduce as she’s more focused on doubles matches. During the aforementioned interview, Paolini announced that Errani will be added to her coaching team ahead of the 2026 season and she will take care of the tactical part of her game:

In the last three years, I’ve grown as a player and as a person; I have clearer ideas on court. I always try to move forward and forgive myself. Tennis forgets quickly. I’ll have two people this year: Danilo Pizzorno and her, who will take care of the tactical part, which is on another level.

Paolini and Errani helped Italy win the last two Billie Jean King Cup titles. However, the former will be aiming to extend her great moments in singles, having ended the year as World No.8. She didn’t do well at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, where she failed to win a singles match, losing all her round robin ties.

Also Read: Stefanos Tsitsipas Handed Brutal Advice to Rejuvenate his Tennis Career by Former Grand Slam Finalist