The Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner rivalry is widely regarded as the one which tennis would thrive on in the future, and it already is to a huge extent. The two young stars, in their early 20s itself, have taken men’s tennis by storm, making a name for themselves. While both the players are extremely gracious with each other and go a long way back, this rivalry is getting hotter because of Jannik Sinner having joined in the Grand Slam race. On head-to-head, Sinner leads Alcaraz 4-3 as of February 2024.
Carlos Alcaraz is still ahead in the Grand Slams race, with 2 to his name. Here is how the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner rivalry has panned out in the last 3 years, which has reminded many fans of the Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal one in the mid-2000s.
2021 – Tennis fans saw the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner rivalry for the first time in 2021. The duo clashed at the Paris Masters, Round of 32 stage. Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious on that occasion as he won in straight sets.
2022 – The Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner rivalry really came into it’s own during the 2022 season. Both the young stars faced off against each other three times. Sinner dominated throughout the year, not only winning twice against Alcaraz but also winning the Umag ATP 500 final against him.
The Italian even won against Alcaraz at the Wimbledon Championships in the Round of 16 in 4 sets. However, Alcaraz got back at Sinner at the US Open quarterfinals, in a thrilling 5-setter. Sinner and Alcaraz were tied at 2-2 on head-to-head at the end of 2022.
2023 – The latest edition of the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner rivalry unfolded in 2023. The duo clashed on three occasions, and all of them being semifinals interestingly. Carlos Alcaraz won at the Indian Wells Masters match against the Italian. However, Jannik Sinner quickly got his revenge at the Miami Masters which followed soon after that, with a thrilling win. Jannik Sinner won the latest encounter between the duo at the Beijing Open ATP 500, to take a 4-3 lead in the head-to-head.
In 2024, the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner rivalry could have 5 potential matchups minimum, 1 being at the ‘6 Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia in October 2024, although that tournament will not be counted in ATP records.
Remarkably, Jannik Sinner trained with Carlos Alcaraz at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Spain in December 2023 during the off-season. So this rivalry is expected to be competitive and yet not as heated as legends before them have had in the past. It was similar to the phase when in the Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal rivalry, the duo warmed up to each other after the early 2010s especially and invited as well as attended each other’s handpicked special events.
While Federer is 5 years elder to Nadal and perhaps more charismatic, Sinner is 2 years elder to Alcaraz and similarly more suave and elegant as compared to Alcaraz. The similarities are remarkable.
Sinner won his first Grand Slam at the age of 22, which made him almost replicate Federer, who won it 6 weeks before turning 22. On the other hand, Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam at the age of 19, same as Nadal. When the Roger Federer vs Rafael Nadal rivalry began, that too was on a hard court like the Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner match in Paris in 2021. Nadal had beaten Federer in Miami in 2004, that too in straight sets and was also a Round of 32 match.
