Jannik Sinner continues to compete while his biggest rival Carlos Alcaraz is on the sidelines.
Sinner is the world number one and is confirmed to remain there until at least Wimbledon after Alcaraz’s withdrawal from the French Open.
This means that Sinner is the heavy favorite to win the French Open this year and complete the Career Grand Slam, joining Alcaraz, who made history at the Australian Open earlier this year.
After winning his 20th consecutive match, Sinner was asked about his rivalry with Alcaraz and if he thinks it is good for tennis.
Jannik Sinner believes his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz is good for the sport
Sinner beat Cameron Norrie 6-2, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open, matching his previous best result in the Spanish capital.
In his press conference after the match, Sinner was asked about the support he receives in Spain and if he thinks he and Alcaraz are sending a message of a good rivalry in tennis.
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Sinner believes that this rivalry does help him receive more support in Madrid, as he explained that it also works the same for Alcaraz in Rome, before claiming that it is good for the sport.
“Yeah, I mean, I definitely have a great friendship with Carlos, and I believe that helps also with some support here,” said Sinner.
“I think that it also goes both ways. When he plays in Italy, he has a nice and good support. Of course, when Carlos plays against an Italian player in Italy it’s, you know, people, they support more the Italian player most likely. And here it’s the same if I play against a Spanish player. I know that it’s not personal.
“Me and Carlos, we have a great rivalry on the court. And off the court, you know, whenever we shake hands, it’s like nothing happened. I think these people can see, and it’s also nice. So, yeah, it’s good for the sport.”
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Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated men’s tennis in recent years, which includes winning the past nine consecutive Grand Slam titles.
They have also played three majors against each other in this time, which all started when Alcaraz beat Sinner in the thrilling French Open final last year.
This is one of Alcaraz’s 10 victories over Sinner, as he leads their head-to-head 10-7.
However, Sinner has won their two most recent meetings, including in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, where he reclaimed the number one ranking from Alcaraz.
| Year | Tournament | Result |
| 2021 | Paris Masters (R32) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 7-6(1) 7-5 |
| 2022 | Wimbledon (R16) | Sinner beat Alcaraz, 6-1 6-4 6(8)-7 6-3 |
| 2022 | Croatia Open (F) | Sinner beat Alcaraz, 6(5)-7 6-1 6-1 |
| 2022 | US Open (QF) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 6-3 6(7)-7 6(0)-7 7-5 6-3 |
| 2023 | Indian Wells (SF) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 7-6(4) 6-3 |
| 2023 | Miami Open (SF) | Sinner beat Alcaraz, 6(4)-7 6-4 6-2 |
| 2023 | China Open (SF) | Sinner beat Alcaraz, 7-6(4) 6-1 |
| 2024 | Indian Wells (SF) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 1-6 6-3 6-2 |
| 2024 | Roland Garros (SF) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 2-6 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-3 |
| 2024 | China Open (F) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 6(6)-7 6-4 7-6(3) |
| 2025 | Italian Open (F) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 7-6(5) 6-1 |
| 2025 | Roland Garros (F) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 4-6 6(4)-7 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(2) |
| 2025 | Wimbledon (F) | Sinner beat Alcaraz, 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 |
| 2025 | Cincinnati Open (F) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 5-0 (Sinner retired) |
| 2025 | US Open (F) | Alcaraz beat Sinner, 6-2 3-6 6-1 6-4 |
| 2025 | ATP Finals (F) | Sinner beat Alcaraz, 7-6(4) 7-5 |
| 2026 | Monte Carlo Masters (F) | Sinner beat Alcaraz, 7-6(5) 6-3 |
Sinner and Alcaraz’s rivalry is going to have to take a back seat until at least the grass court season, as the latter continues to try and recover from his wrist injury.
Instead, Sinner will look to take advantage of Alcaraz’s absence and cement his place at the top of men’s tennis.
Sinner will now look to reach the semifinals of the Madrid Open for the first time in his career, as he plays the winner of the match between Rafael Jodar and Vit Kopriva.
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