Jannik Sinner has had a magnificent week, winning the China Open on Wednesday. The Italian youngster is all set to rise to No.4 in the ATP rankings. Sinner now has a feat to his name that his opponent in the final, Daniil Medvedev doesn’t have and it has got to do with Carlos Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz was quite strangely beaten in straight sets in the semifinals by Jannik Sinner by a 7-6 (4), 6-1 scoreline. This was their 3rd meeting in 2023 and 7th overall of their careers. Sinner has got Alcaraz’s number more than even Novak Djokovic for that matter.
Jannik Sinner has exceptional head-to-head record against Carlos Alcaraz
On head-to-head, Jannik Sinner now leads 4-3 against Carlos Alcaraz. Alongside Djokovic, Sinner has the rare privilege of beating Alcaraz twice in 2023. However, the Italian has bettered Djokovic, who has a 2-2 head-to-head record against the Spaniard.
Most players cannot boast of a positive record when they take on Carlos Alcaraz. Apart from Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev also has a 2-2 record now courtesy his US Open 2023 semifinal win. The only other active player who can claim to have got Carlos Alcaraz’s number is Tommy Paul, who has a 2-2 record as well.
Apart from these names, Rafael Nadal has a positive 2-1 lead against Carlos Alcaraz. Being in an exclusive club with the 22-time Grand Slam champion is an honour for Jannik Sinner, who would aim to extend this record. It is likely that Alcaraz and Sinner will clash again either at the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters or the Nitto ATP Finals.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz first played as ATP Tour professionals in the 2021 season at the Paris Masters. In the Round of 32 back then, Alcaraz had clinched a tight 7-6, 7-5 win, which set the tone for possibly a legendary future rivalry. In 2022, they met thrice like they have this year, much to the delight of many European tennis enthusiasts.
In their first-ever meeting on grass in the Wimbledon 2022 Round of 16 stage, Jannik Sinner won 6-1, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. They also took each other on clay in Umag where the Italian again prevailed 6-7, 6-1, 6-1. On that instance, it was in the final match, giving Sinner a historic clay court title.
But Carlos Alcaraz hit back at the US Open 2022, beating Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals in their first-ever 5-setter, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. Alcaraz went on to win the title and seemed to have found the solution to tackle the Italian. The Spaniard got the better of him again in the 2023 Indian Wells semifinals, winning in straight sets, 7-6, 6-3.
However, Jannik Sinner is amongst the fastest improving players on the ATP Tour. Sinner has got back-to-back wins of his own against Alcaraz after that Indian Wells loss. Firstly, it was in the semifinals in Miami, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2. And then, most recently in Beijing, where he played perhaps his most clinical game against a top player.
Sinner ranking and China Open prize money win
Jannik Sinner will take home a cool $679,550 after winning the China Open 500 title. After an incredible 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) win in the final, Sinner’s ranking will improve to No.4 and that would seal his qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals. The 22-year-old has an opportunity to win another $1,262,220 if he wins the Shanghai Masters 1000 title as well, which would become his second ATP 1000 Masters title of 2023 after the Rogers Cup in Canada.
