Carlos Alcaraz Sucks the Joy Out of Jannik Sinner’s No.1 Honor as He Fails to Digest French Open Defeat

“You win some, you lose some, it’s all the part of the game.” But it’s undeniable that some losses are tougher than others. And for Jannik Sinner, that loss was the French Open semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz. It was a five-set thriller that no one could’ve predicted the outcome of until the very end. Maybe that’s what’s playing on the Italian’s mind. But in times like these, there’s no question that players would hope to have a mindset like Naomi Osaka’s after her second-round loss to Iga Swiatek.

Osaka came agonizingly close to winning, but after the defeat, she was just happy with how she played. In fact, she even forgot she was one point away from winning. The same can’t be said about Sinner’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6 loss to Alcaraz, and the newly-crowned World No.1 is still reeling from it, he’s “still thinking about it.” 

After Novak Djokovic withdrew from Roland Garros midway through Jannik Sinner’s quarterfinal match against Grigor Dimitrov, it was official. The 22-year-old would be the first Italian to assume the World No.1 spot, making him the 29th player in history to achieve this feat. He wrote, “Grateful for this moment, something we have worked very hard for, but the work doesn’t stop here, forza!!!” The work doesn’t stop here. After what he said in a recent interview, this statement rings true now more than ever.

In a conversation with Corriere Della Sera on Monday, Sinner was asked if the feeling of becoming the World No.1 had dawned on him yet. Answering in the affirmative, Sinner refused to dwell on the rank any further. He said, “Yes, certainly.” But he added, “More than the world number one, I’m still thinking about the match with Alcaraz in the semifinal in Paris.” The 22-year-old, who clinched his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January, relived a repeat of the Indian Wells semifinal from March, albeit on clay this time.

With their head-to-head now at 4-5 in favor of Carlos Alcaraz, there’s no doubt that Sinner has his eyes set on making that even. But as he left Paris, he couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened despite climbing atop the world rankings. “On Sunday, I saw a bit of the final, and I struggled a bit because I would have liked to have been there more anyway,” he revealed. In another five-set thriller the Spaniard played, he overcame Alexander Zverev to win his third Grand Slam title. 

This is a transformation we’re witnessing in tennis, with the younger generation pushing the yesteryear legends to the side with their new rankings. However, the paradoxical results at the French Open – him becoming the World No.1 despite losing in the semifinal – are still pricking Sinner’s heart. However, the Italian has now started to enjoy his trophy, though not fully! “I’m still digesting, now I’m interested in this. I like the number one trophy. But unfortunately, on Sunday, I wasn’t able to be in the place where I wanted to be. Paris,” he added.

That said, the defeat to one of his best friends on tour was a “great lesson” for Jannik Sinner. “It makes me understand where I need to work and where I need to improve,” he said. This statement resonated with his post following the quarterfinal at the French Open. In fact, it even resonates with how he approaches the game of tennis.

In the same interview, Sinner disclosed, “I have always thought in small steps: earning an ATP point, then entering the top 1000 in the rankings, and I succeeded; then I told myself that I wanted the top 500, and I got there, too. I always try to set myself small goals that would make me take a step forward. This, for me, is the key to growing and explains where I have arrived.” As the 22-year-old looks to get even better, Alcaraz is ready to take him on again!

Carlos Alcaraz wants to keep playing Jannik Sinner “for the next 10 years”

The Spaniard is the kind of player who relishes a good match, a good opponent, and a chance to beat them all. In the years he’s been on the tour, though, one matchup he truly enjoys is against Jannik Sinner. Their rivalry is a budding one, and every match of theirs delivers high quality just the same. Looking forward to more encounters with the Italian, the Associated Press reported Alcaraz saying, “I hope he and I keep playing each other for the next 10 years.” The era of the Big 3 is in its twilight, and the new generation is already taking over. What a thrill to see these youngsters dominate the sport then!

“Everything he does, he does it perfectly. The way that he hits the ball is unbelievable. The way he moves — really, really well. He pushes you to the limit on every ball, on every point. I think it is the hardest thing to face Jannik,” Alcaraz added. “At the same time, I love that. I love these kind of matches. I love this kind of challenge. … I love to find solutions, to find a way to beat him.”

The Italian will have to come out of this loss stronger than ever as the calendar year proceeds to the new destination: Wimbledon. And who knows? Maybe the two young rivals will get another opportunity to battle it out on the Roland Garros clay as they vie for the Olympic gold in July! Do you think Sinner can equal his H2H record against Alcaraz at Wimbledon if they meet in the finals? Let us know in the comments!