Carlos Alcaraz admits what happens to him when he sees Jannik Sinner in the draw, ‘I’m not going to lie’

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Carlos Alcaraz has won his first match since the Australian Open after returning at the Qatar Open.

Alcaraz had a few days off after winning the Australian Open before returning to the practice court to prepare for the Qatar Open.

Despite not playing since winning the first Grand Slam of 2026, Alcaraz has still broken one of Jim Courier’s records.

Both Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are playing in Doha, and after winning his first round match the Spaniard explained why he actually benefits from having his rival at the same tournament as him.

Carlos Alcaraz admits that Jannik Sinner ‘motivates’ him

Alcaraz beat Arthur Rinderknech, 6-4 7-6(5), in his first round match at the Qatar Open, where he lost in the quarterfinals last year.

This matched the performance of Sinner, who beat Tomas Machac in straight sets in his first round match in Doha.

When asked about his biggest rival in his post-match press conference, Alcaraz admitted that he is actually more motivated to reach the final when Sinner is in the same draw as him.

“I’m not going to lie. When Jannik is in the draw, it’s much more likely that I’ll reach the final rounds, and that motivates me to bring my best level, to go day by day trying to see my name in that final,” said Alcaraz.

“And hopefully I can play against him, because those are the matches that really make me improve.”

Alcaraz has been full of praise for Sinner at the Qatar Open, as they look to play their first official match of the year.

Will Carlos Alcaraz win the Calendar Slam in 2026?

If not, which Grand Slam is he going to fail to win?

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How many tournaments did Carlos Alcaraz reach the final where Jannik Sinner was also playing last year?

Alcaraz’s increased motivation when Sinner is in the draw was evident last year, in the most successful season of his career so far.

Sinner was banned for three months after the Australian Open last year, in what was the worst part of the year for Alcaraz in terms of form.

In the eight tournaments Alcaraz played with Sinner in the draw he reached the final 75% of the time, but that number was down to 57.1% for the tournaments where his biggest rival was not present.

Alcaraz reached the final at the Australian Open for the first time this year, but it was the first time since 2023 that Sinner also did not reach the championship match in Melbourne.

Both players are now three wins away from their first ATP final of the season at the Qatar Open.

Next up for Alcaraz is another Frenchman in Valentin Royer, while Sinner will take on former Masters 1000 champion Alexei Popyrin.