Carlos Alcaraz will have been watching Jannik Sinner’s struggles in the heat with great interest.
After all, whilst he would not have wished that on his great rival, the prospect of his exit from the Australian Open before the final must be one he secretly hopes for.
Particularly at this event, where he has put so much pressure on himself to complete the career Grand Slam.
Despite the gulf in rankings between Jannik Sinner and his opponent, Eliot Spizzirri, midway through the third set, it only seemed like the match was going one way.
Were the Australian Open wrong to allow Jannik Sinner time off court when he was cramping?
That was, until the heat rule enforced a break, affording the Italian time to recover and turn the match around.
Carlos Alcaraz has since spoken about this decision, as well as what this show of weakness might mean for the rest of the tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz hopes to take advantage of Jannik Sinner’s weakness
Speaking during the Spanish section of his most recent press conference, the 22-year-old was asked about Sinner’s struggles late last week.
Naturally, he was sympathetic to the cause, but also explained how he would hopefully not suffer from the same fate, given he’s due to face Alex de Minaur in similar heat tomorrow.
Alcaraz claimed: “I have had games in which I have had cramps, and then physically I have noticed it in the following days, especially the next day, feeling more burdened and with more aches.
“Maybe that can harm you, putting more intensity or more hours into the body. It may or may not harm you; it depends on how you have it. I know that someone like him measures everything to the millimetre, and they will do things right to get in top shape.”
He then explained the difference between them, and how it might benefit him in this event: “He is from a mountain area, very cold. I’m from Murcia, very hot. The warmer conditions benefit me; I’m not going to deny that, but in the end, as he has been on the circuit for a long time and since we are playing a lot in the summer, I think he has also adapted.
“Even so, we can see that it still sometimes costs him, and that’s something that I can take advantage of in my case.”
Martina Navratilova accused the Australian Open of making a big mistake during Sinner’s match, in one of many strong reactions to this flashpoint.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner remain on Australian Open crash course
Given the fact that the last three Grand Slam finals have been contested between Alcaraz and Sinner, it would be foolish to bet against the same occurring here in Melbourne.
After all, they are so far ahead of the rest of the ATP Tour, and have shown that only external factors can potentially halt their progress.
Thus far, Alcaraz has been faultless, having yet to drop a set whilst recording a particularly impressive win over Tommy Paul most recently.
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Sinner, meanwhile, did have that wobble against Spizzirri, but has otherwise been rampant too. He has just beaten his fellow countryman Luciano Darderi with ease earlier today.
Both remain on course for that much-anticipated meeting in yet another final, but Alcaraz will have to get past hometown hero De Minaur in the quarter-finals next to reaffirm his title credentials.
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