Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are arguably the two best players in men’s tennis.
They have won the last five Grand Slam titles between them and are now the top two players in the ATP Tour rankings.
Alcaraz and Sinner are also engaged in one of the most compelling rivalries in the game, and they are unquestionably the leading men in this new era of tennis.
There is plenty of respect between the two players, but as expected, there is a fierce desire and determination to beat the other when they do battle.
What goes through Jannik Sinner’s mind in training when he watches Carlos Alcaraz?
As we have seen through the majority of their matches, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner pushed each other to their limit.
The shotmaking and athleticism on show is nothing short of remarkable and it always feels like a blockbuster matchup when they face one another.
It certainly feels that way for the players too, as Sinner opened up on what happens in his training sessions before their matches and whenever he sees Alcaraz winning.
“Me and Carlos, we have a great rivalry,” Sinner said. “When we play there is a little extra attention. While he is winning I feel that my practice sessions are getting more intense.”
In a separate conversation Alcaraz said of his rivalry with Sinner: “He is only 23 years old and he is the most difficult opponent you can face.
“He motivates me to want to get better, I want to beat him so he motivates me to be a better athlete.”
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz say what was going through their minds during their 2024 French Open semi-final
Sinner and Alcaraz played one another three times in 2024, including the French Open.
The pair faced one another for a spot in their first championship match at the clay court Grand Slam, and Alcaraz triumphed in five set in Paris. During the match, Alcaraz was struggling with injury, which Sinner noticed and he tried to take advantage of it.
“I saw he was struggling with the right hand so I tried to move him around, trying to see where he has pain and where he doesn’t have pain,” Sinner said. “At some point we both were cramping a little bit. I had my cramps in my hand.”
“Alcaraz, who admitted suffering from cramps during the match, shared: “We had to switch it up somehow. I sped up my forehand a ton and hit it so much harder [in the second set]. But then came the third set.
“I started to feel bad cramping. When you are in front of 10,000 people and can’t play at the level you should because of leg cramps it sucks. It screws you up when everyone sees you play like that.”
Despite his physical ailments, Alcaraz was determined to win the match his hopes of a first title at Roland Garros alive, and he did just that.
“I thought Jannik, if you really want to beat me, you are going to have to get me out on a stretcher,” said Alcaraz defiantly. Sinner then said: “He was then much better than me to find a way to win. This shows again how mentally strong Carlos is.”
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