Carlos Alcaraz opens up on his complicated relationship with Jannik Sinner
Alcaraz and Sinner, men’s tennis’s new ‘Big 2,’ face off in a second straight Grand Slam final at Wimbledon 2025.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner meet in a second consecutive Grand Slam final at Wimbledon 2025, with the Spaniard having prevailed in an epic five-set encounter between the pair at Roland-Garros in June, the most recent major. The duo are expected to dominate men’s tennis for the foreseeable future, so much so that fans and the media have already given their rivalry a name: “Sincaraz”.
Alcaraz vs Sinner: head-to-head record
The 2025 Wimbledon men’s singles final will already be the 13th meeting of their young careers (Alcaraz leads the series 8-4), and the Spaniard admits they are unlikely to ever be friends given they are both looking to achieve the same goals in tennis.
Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis last year, Alcaraz explained he “doesn’t speak much” with Sinner and the pair “are not close friends,” but there is a healthy amount of mutual respect between them.
Carlos Alcaraz reveals why he and Jannik Sinner “can’t be friends”
“Once we are on tour, travelling, at tournaments, on site, we are with our teams and on our own, so we don’t speak too much,” the 22-year-old confessed. “But when we can, we talk a little bit besides tennis, about life. But not too much. It means we have a good relationship but we are not close friends. I think the respect we have puts us in a position that we have a really good relationship.”
Alcaraz further addressed his relationship with the Italian while speaking to the media before the final of the Masters 1000 in Rome in May, saying: “We are not very close. In the end we are also rivals and I can’t have a close friendship with a person I want to beat.”
Spanish star “even more focused” due to Sinner “aura”
Following that encounter, the Spanish star, who won in straight sets, also revealed that facing Sinner brought out the best in him.
“He wins almost every match he plays. That’s why I’m even more focused when I play against him. If I don’t play at my best, 10 out of 10, it’s going to be impossible to beat him. That’s why I’m more focused when I’m playing against him.
"I feel a little bit different when I’m going to face him than other players. He has that aura. When you’re seeing him on the other side of the net, it’s different."
Alcaraz vs Sinner: Grand Slam titles
At Wimbledon, Alcaraz will be going in search of his sixth Grand Slam, and his third in a row at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Sinner, almost two years his rival’s senior, can claim his fourth major, with his first three all coming since the start of 2024.
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