WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz hoping his rivalry with Jannik Sinner goes on to become like the one shared by the Big-3 between them 

Jannik Sinner currently leads the head-to-head record between the two players.

WATCH: Carlos Alcaraz hoping his rivalry with Jannik Sinner goes on to become like the one shared by the Big-3 between them 

Carlos Alcaraz (on right) and Jannik Sinner (left) (Image via ATP Tour)

Reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, who recently lost to Italian ace Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the 2023 China Open, says that he wants the rivalry between the two players to be of the same level as the Big 3 had between them. Alcaraz said that it would be great for the fans as well as for the sport that he and Sinner have a fierce rivalry, just like Roger Federer had with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. 

Notably, Alcaraz and Sinner have faced each other seven times on the tour so far. Before their meeting at the China Open, the head-to-head score was tied at 3-3. However, Sinner now has gained an upper hand, and it is to be seen if he manages to extend it at the Shanghai Masters if the two players meet. 

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Nevertheless, regardless of the result, it will be a fierce battle. While the two players have not talked about their potential match in Shanghai, Carlos Alcaraz has talked about their rivalry in general. When asked about how he wants his rivalry with Sinner to be, Alcaraz said that it would be great if they could create what the Big 3 had between them. 

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“Honestly, it would be great if it is like Rafa and Roger. It could be the dream for ourselves and for the tennis fans. I don’t know, Rafa-Roger, Roger-Djokovic, Djokovic-Rafa, whatever it is,” said Alcaraz.

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What does Jannik Sinner think about his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz?

While Carlos Alcaraz holds Jannik Sinner in high regard and wants to play him more often than not, the Italian also respects Alcaraz a lot. Sinner had admitted that the Spaniard is a tad ahead of him at the moment, ahead of the China Open. Sinner played down the talks of a rivalry between them, saying Alcaraz’s fiercest rival at the moment is Novak Djokovic.

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Carlos Alcaraz (on right) and Jannik Sinner (left) (Image via Stadium Astro)

“At the moment, the biggest rivalry is him and Novak [Djokovic]. But every time we play against [each other], it’s a really good match. I think we both show the best out of ourselves,” Sinner had said ahead of the ATP 500 tournament in China. Also, after defeating the Spaniard in the semifinals, Sinner said that he had great respect for Alcaraz.

“I would say every match against him is very tough. We always show great respect, we both play great,” Sinner said about his exciting rivalry with Alcaraz. “When we play against each other, we try to stay on our limits. I always enjoy playing against him,” Sinner had said in his on-court interview.

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