Jannik Sinner says why playing against Carlos Alcaraz is different compared to other players

Jannik Sinner says he feels different when facing Carlos Alcaraz than other players on tour.

Many wondered where the next epic rivalry would come from following the retirements of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who contested historic battles with each other and Novak Djokovic.

But the Spaniard and the World number one have contested some enthralling matches over the past two seasons, and are very evenly matched despite a contrast in styles.

The pair pushed each other to the limit, and their next meeting could take place in the Australian Open final.

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Jannik Sinner describes what it is like to face Carlos Alcaraz

One of the few players that gives Jannik Sinner trouble on court is the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner lost just six matches in 2024, but three of the defeats came against the World number three, including the French Open semi-finals.

Alcaraz brings the best out of Sinner and the 23-year-old told reporters at his pre-Australian Open press conference what is different about facing Alcaraz than other players.

“You have more tension,” Sinner said about his rival. “You have more eyes on us because this is a match most people want to see. Obviously there are so many other great, great players that are in the mix with us.

“First you have to arrive at this stage where you play against Carlos, which is a very difficult part to go through. When this happens, the feeling – I think he also feels the same way – it’s a bit different.

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“Young players, we usually play high-quality matches because when two players face each other and you bring out your best, the quality of the match usually is very high.

“Yeah, I think that’s it, no? At the end of the day it’s a tennis match. We try to do our best. Hopefully the people and the crowd enjoy it.”

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What is Jannik Sinner’s head-to-head rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz?

Before the start of the 2024 season Sinner was winning his head-to-head record with Alcaraz with four wins and three defeats.

But the 21-year-old turned the tables last year winning all three of their encounters. He began by ending the Sinner’s unbeaten start to 2024 by winning their Indian Wells semi-final clash.

They met again in the French Open semi-finals, and Alcaraz claimed a five-set win on the way to winning the title.

Their most recent meeting came in October’s China Open final, which was one of the matches of the year. Alcaraz came from a set down to win his fourth and final title of 2024.

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