What Jannik Sinner might now be thinking about his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz after ‘amazing’ stat is revealed

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s rivalry has only got bigger and better in 2025.

Sinner and Alcaraz have shared the last eight major titles, which includes playing each other in the last three consecutive Grand Slam finals.

They met for one final time this year in Turin, with Sinner beating Alcaraz to defend his ATP Finals title.

Sinner and Alcaraz’s final attracted record viewing figures, and it has also produced an incredible statistic that could potentially be on the mind of the Italian.

Steve Flink suggests what Jannik Sinner might be thinking about ‘amazing stat’ with Carlos Alcaraz

After playing each other a total of 16 times, including six matches this year, Alcaraz leads the head-to-head against Sinner 10-6.

Despite Alcaraz having a significant advantage against Sinner, incredibly they have both won the exact same number of points against one another in these 16 matches (1,651 points).

When reflecting on the Court-Side with Beilinson Tennis podcast, Tennis Hall of Famer Steve Flink claimed that this statistic will make Sinner believe that he should be closer to Alcaraz in the head-to-head.

However, Flink suggested that this could change and claimed that Sinner’s win over Alcaraz at the ATP Finals could be a really important one.

“It tells me that Carlos has been the better player under pressure most of the way, that’s why that win for Sinner yesterday was important, because he managed to salvage both sets from difficult positions,” said Flink. “And Carlos has won more of the hard fought really close contests, because he’s been the better big point player, but that can swing, that can change.

“I think if he were to look at that point, if they were to look at it both of them would be a little bit surprised, but Alcaraz would be complimentary in that ‘I know how tough it is to beat Jannik, so it doesn’t shock me’. And Jannik would look at it more like, ‘I need to exploit my opportunities a little better and that tells me that maybe my record shouldn’t be 6-10’. If you look at the numbers there, he probably feels that he should be even with him.

“…There’s no more value in winning a set in a tie-break than winning a 6-1 set…That was an amazing stat that this guy came up with.”

How many of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s matches been in straight sets?

Flink claimed that this statistic has come about because Alcaraz wins more of the close-fought contests, but the Spaniard has also won more straight sets matches than Sinner in their rivalry.

Alcaraz and Sinner have never played a straight sets match at a Grand Slam, but they have played six in a best-of-three set format.

In best-of-five set matches at Grand Slams, Flink’s point is proven as Alcaraz has obtained three of his four major wins over Sinner in five sets.

This includes Alcaraz saving championship points to beat Sinner in the French Open final earlier this year.

The next time they could go head-to-head is in Melbourne next year, when Alcaraz will be bidding to win the Australian Open for the first time and complete the Career Slam.