“My body needs time to rest after the long run in Australia,” said Jannik Sinner, announcing his withdrawal from Rotterdam. Although the decision was to help him cope with the immense physical strain of the title defense in Melbourne, it eventually acted as a positive for his biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz.  The Spaniard managed to clinch the title by dropping just three out of 13 sets overall. Carlitos seems to enjoy the Italian’s time off.

When asked if he missed his rival, Jannik Sinner, at the Rotterdam Open, the Spaniard made it clear that his absence did not bother him. “Not really,” Alcaraz quipped with a laugh before adding, “He decided to pull out last minute, I respect and understand his decision. It would have been great for the tournament to have a final between us, but now that I’m holding the trophy… no, I didn’t miss him!”

Sinner had withdrawn from the ATP 500 tournament after securing his second consecutive Australian Open title. The Italian, who defeated Alexander Zverev in straight sets in the final at Rod Laver Arena, not only won the title but also broke many records, including the one held by Rafael Nadal. Sinner became the first person since Nadal (05-06) to defend their first grand slam title.

Alcaraz and Sinner have forged one of the most thrilling rivalries in recent tennis history. The two have consistently delivered high-quality encounters on the sport’s biggest stages. Alcaraz currently leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 6-4. Despite their fierce on-court battles, the two maintain a respectful but distant relationship off the court.

Speaking about their dynamic last year in Shanghai, Alcaraz explained, “I think we both respect each other a lot, as a player, as a person, but once we are on tour traveling during tournaments when we are on-site, we are with our team on our own, so we don’t speak too much. When we can, we talk a little bit besides tennis, about life a little bit, but not too much. We have a good relationship, but we are not close friends, but I think the respect that we have puts us in a position that we have a really good relationship.”

However, despite admitting the fact that he didn’t miss facing the Italian, Alcaraz also made a staggering revelation about his biggest rival.

Carlos Alcaraz commends Jannik Sinner as “the best” despite top-notch rivalry

While Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry is still in its early stages, many already see it as them as the ‘Big 2’ in men’s tennis, potentially following in the footsteps of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. An interesting stat about their head-to-head is the fact that Jannik Sinner, despite having just 4 wins, has managed to defeat Alcaraz on every surface while the Spaniard still lacks a win on a grass court. Alcaraz still does not believe he holds an edge over the Italian.

While renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou suggested that Carlos Alcaraz is better at the moment, Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach offered a completely different opinion. According to him, Sinner is miles ahead at the moment, claiming him to be ‘more consistent’. “This year, Carlos had a few losses I couldn’t explain… If we move Novak out of the equation, they will dominate, they are way above anyone else on the Tour,” added Ivanisevic. The Spaniard dismissed Mouratoglou’s claim.

“Jannik is the best right now,” Alcaraz, who has beaten Sinner three times in a row in 2023 and 2024, said after winning the Rotterdam Open. “He has lost only four or five matches in the past year, so it’s crazy. I know people say who’s better out of us. They say Jannik is better or some say me. It’s all discussion.”

“I don’t agree with what Mouratoglou said. Jannik will have lost 4/5 matches in a year, he has no ups and downs. In every tournament he participates in he either reaches the final or lifts the trophy,” Alcaraz added.

Sinner’s consistency has indeed been remarkable, with his triumph at the 2025 Australian Open adding to his growing list of achievements. With both players still at the beginning of their careers, their rivalry is expected to define the next era of men’s tennis.