For tennis fans, rivalries are something that make this sport extremely special. The ongoing rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the current World No. 1 and 3 respectively, is one that has grown to a different level in the last few years ago. With their exceptional skills shown on the court, they have garnered immense love across the globe. While their most recent encounters might be fresh in fans’ minds, not everyone may be aware of how and when the two young tennis sensations actually met?

It was in 2019, during the ATP Challenger Tour, when Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, two young teenagers aged 17 and 15 respectively, clashed for the first time. In a match of the JC Ferrero Challenger Open, the second edition of the tournament, Alcaraz and Sinner’s fight, turned out to be an intense affair. After the Spaniard won the first set 6-2, the Italian made him sweat to clinch the match. Sinner won the second set 6-3, thus taking the battle into a decider. Despite facing a tough challenge from Sinner, Carlos eventually succeeded in having the last laugh. He took the set with a score of 6-3. With this victory, he became the first player born in 2003 to win a Challenger match.

Interestingly, both the players also ended up interacting with each in the same match. Their first conversation took place inside a locker room, as revealed by Jannik Sinner in an interview with CNN Sports from November 12th, 2024. Remembering the moments from five years ago, the Fox said, “I saw the draw coming out, and I said, ‘Oh, Carlos Alcaraz, I have no idea who he is! I saw the age, and I said, ‘Wow, he’s playing a challenger, it’s amazing.’ And then straight away I was impressed.”

When they entered the same locker room, it was the moment when they exchanged words. Sinner was like “When did you start to play tennis?” and then the interaction extended. Sinner revealed that he really “wanted to get to know him because he was just an amazing talent already back in the day.”

For curious minds, the head-to-head tally between these two is currently tilted in favor of the Spaniard with a lead of 6-4. The last time they faced each other in an ATP match was during the China Open in October. In the championship battle, Alcaraz came back strongly after trailing in the first set. He eventually won the match and trophy with a scoreline of 6-7, 6-4, 7-6. One can assume that both of them will keep on playing each other numerous times in the near future. Not to mention that they both inspire each other as well. It became evident when Sinner revealed how Alcaraz makes him better every time they come face-to-face.

Jannik Sinner on how Carlos Alcaraz inspires in a rivalry of ‘fire and ice’

During an official ATP interview, dated October 4th, Sinner had described their rivalry as ‘fire and ice’. Moreover, he also explained how the Spaniard motivates him to get better. “I wake up in the morning trying to understand how to beat Alcaraz. I feel like—at least talking from my side—he pushes me to do better. I wake up in the morning trying to understand what I can do better trying to beat him next time, which is something nice for me as a player,” he said. He also revealed that despite being arch rivals, they are good friends off-court.

While admiring their intense clashes, Sinner said, “He is the one who brings the firepower” while he remains calm. “It also shows that everyone is different. I believe that I have to take something from him as a player, trying some different shots sometimes, which I feel like makes me grow as a player,” he added. It seems like both of them complement each other very well as two opposite forces.

While Alcaraz’s season has already ended, after his loss to Alexander Zverev in the group stage of the ATP Finals, Sinner has made his way into the semis. The Fox will now play his next match on Sunday against Casper Ruud. The World No.1 will look to seal his spot in the championship match. It will be intriguing to see if he can wrap up his season on a winning note or not. Do you think he will eventually lift the trophy in Turin? Let us know in the comments.