Jannik Sinner admits he had reservations about his capability to keep up with Carlos Alcaraz during the early stages of his career.
The world No.2 has formed one of the most formidable rivalries with Alcaraz on the men’s Tour amongst active players. The duo has won the past eight Grand Slam tournaments between them, facing off against each other in the final of three of them last year. In their head-to-head, Alcaraz leads 10-6 and has won seven out of their nine most recent meetings.
Sinner will renew his rivalry with the Spaniard this weekend at an exhibition event in Seoul, South Korea. It will be the first time both players have played a match in the country.
“I saw someone who was very special and you could feel it from the other side,” The Yohap News Agency quoted Sinner as saying about his rival. “And when I said that, I was very sure he would arrive at the stage where he is right now. And I’m not lying that I was not sure if I could ever be in the position where I am right now.
“For me, it’s always a big pleasure when I have a chance to play against Carlos. You measure yourself with the best in the world. This is exactly what you need, trying to improve always.” He added.
The showdown will give tennis fans a first glimpse of what shape both players are in heading into the Australian Open. Sinner aims to become only the second player since 2000 to win the tournament for a third consecutive year after Novak Djokovic. Meanwhile, Alcaraz is seeking his first title in Melbourne, which will also secure him a career Grand Slam at the age of 22.
“We’ve built a special rivalry over the years, starting from the (second-tier) Challengers, first rounds of tournaments, making our first final in ATP 250 and then to splitting the biggest tournaments of the world,” world No.1 Alcaraz said of their rivalry. “I think we both push each other to be better, to be 100 percent. I think I’m just really happy to be able to have this rivalry with him.”
As to how prestigious their rivalry could become, Sinner has played down the need to compare it with that of the Big Three. A trio made up of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who won 66 major titles between them.
“We need to see how long we can keep up with this level. What the Big Three has done, we cannot compare ourselves with them,” he said. “And we also don’t want to. We are just ourselves and we want to make our own story. Everyone is different.
“It’s great to have (Alcaraz). He pushes me to the limit. Hopefully, I can improve every time we play.”
The exhibition is scheduled to take place at 16:00 local time on Saturday at the Inspire Arena in Incheon.
