According to Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz is a better player and understated their rivalry in favor of what they refer to as the biggest rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Although he emphasizes that his current concentration is on his physical growth, the world No. 7 believes he has the potential to be an Alcaraz opponent in the future. On the ATP Tour, Sinner and Alcaraz are two of the most talented and potential players, and both have already achieved notable success.
Alcaraz, however, has taken the lead among the upcoming talent, having won two Grand Slams, four Masters 1000 competitions, and the world No. 1 ranking. Sinner has won eight ATP tournaments, the biggest of which he won at the Masters 1000 competition in Toronto last month.
In a pre-tournament interview before the upcoming China Open, Sinner was questioned about his rivalry with Alcaraz. Sinner stated his remarks about Alcaraz and said: “Look, at the moment it’s tough to talk about this rivalry because I feel he has won so many things at the moment. I think at the moment he’s still a better player, no? He has shown this. He was No. 1 in the world already a couple of times.”
He further added: “I think at the moment the biggest rivalry is him and Novak. But in the other way, for sure every time we play against, it’s a really good match. I think we both show the best in ourselves. At the moment I’m very focused on myself because I have to improve physically because I feel like I have a lot of potential physically. That’s also the reason why I played much fewer tournaments this year than last year because I have to prepare the body to win the big tournaments.”
Sinner talked about his possible rivalry with Alcaraz and said: “It’s going to be a question of what will be answered in the future, no? I would be happy to be the rival of Carlos, for sure. I feel like I have the potential to do it. But let’s see. It’s all about the future. We can’t say what’s happening.”
In the press conference prior to the start of the China Open, Jannik Sinner talked about his (non) rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz and his current physical preparation. 🎙️🇮🇹
"It is tough to talk about this rivalry [with Carlos] because he has won so many things at the moment. I… pic.twitter.com/IYdnYu04Rp
— Relevant Tennis (@RelevantTennis) September 27, 2023
Jannik Sinner says Alcaraz & Djokovic have the biggest rivalry right now:
“At the moment it's tough to talk about my rivalry with Carlos bc I feel he has won so many things at the moment. At the moment he's still a better player, no? He has shown this. He was world #1 already a… pic.twitter.com/GwTpNMh9uh
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 27, 2023
Jannik Sinner in 2023
Now the world no.7, the Italian played his last match on the 4th of September when he was overcome by world no.10 Alexander Zverev 6-4 3-6 6-2 4-6 6-3 in the 4th round of the U.S. Open (draw).
Currently, during this year Sinner owns a 44-13 match record. Sinner conquered 2 titles in 2023 in Montpellier and Toronto. The Italian was the finalist in Rotterdam and Miami.
He is also scheduled to play in Antwerp (European Open). The main draw will start on the 16th of October.
Carlos Alcaraz in 2023
Currently the world no.2, the Spaniard played his last match on the 8th of September when he lost to world no.3 Daniil Medvedev 7-6(3) 6-1 3-6 6-3 in the semifinal of the U.S. Open (draw).
Until now, during this year the Spaniard achieved a compiled 58-7 win-loss record. The Spaniard has won 6 titles in 2023 in Buenos Aires, Indian Wells, Barcelona, Madrid, London and Wimbledon. The Spaniard was the finalist in Rio de Janeiro and Cincinnati.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz fought against each other 7 times. Their record is 4-3 for Alcaraz. The last time they played, Jannik Sinner won 6-7(4) 6-4 6-2 in the semifinal in Miami (Miami Open) on the 31st of March 2023.
In the following video you can watch the key moments of their match.
Novak Djokovic in 2023
Currently ranked no.1, Novak played his last match on the 15th of September when he overcame world no.25 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-4 in the Rubber 2 of the Davis Cup (draw).
Presently, during this year the Serbian has a 46-5 record. The Serbian has won 5 titles in 2023 in Adelaide, Australian Open, French Open, Cincinnati and U.S. Open. Djokovic was the finalist in Wimbledon.