“I think the respect we have, puts us in a position that we have a really good relationship,” said Carlos Alcaraz while talking about his bond with rival Jannik Sinner. Considered the next big thing in the sport (after Big 3’s dominance came to an end), both players are dubbed to take tennis to new heights. However, despite being fierce rivals on the court, these two are good friends off the court too. And that doesn’t go unnoticed.

In the recent episode of the Tennis Channel Inside-In Podcast, journalist Candy Reid talked about the budding relationship between the top two players in the world. “Because, of course, in a final, there’s a lot more going on, and these two really like each other that there’s, of course, a budding rivalry as well. They both want to beat each other,” said Reid. On multiple occasions, both Sinner and Alcaraz have been seen laughing and giggling with each other, be it during their fun training sessions or their on-court rivalry.

Reid reckons that while these two players are arch rivals, and that’s exactly what the sport needs, it’s a healthy rivalry. Interestingly, Carlos Alcaraz also leads the head-to-head stats between the two with 6 wins compared to Sinner’s 4. The last time they played against each other was in the China Open final only a couple of days ago, with Alcaraz winning in straight sets.

Reid further talked about Carlos Alcaraz’s competitive spirit and playful nature, as she revealed that she once had a fun convo with the Spaniard where he suggested that he was ready to take on the Olympic table tennis champion Fan Zhendong, in a friendly match. “I asked Alcaraz, you know, if you’d like to play with fan in table tennis, he goes, Yeah, I would win. And of course, he laughed at the end, but that’s what a competitor he is, that probably he’s hardly played table tennis in his life,” Reid continued.

Coming back to the friendship between Alcaraz and Sinner, while Alcaraz has been all praise for the Italian of late, Sinner has also voiced his opinion about his relationship with his Spanish rival.

Jannik Sinner opens up about the relationship he has with Carlos Alcaraz

Ahead of the start of his campaign in Shanghai, Jannik Sinner revealed the secret to his rivalry-cum-friendship with Carlos Alcaraz. “We are quite similar as human beings off the court,” Sinner noted, highlighting their shared values. Despite their intense on-court battles, their down-to-earth nature creates a strong bond.

Their friendship is built on mutual respect. “Then at least he pushes me to do better, you know, which is something good, where then I try to improve my game in the next days or, you know, in the off-season, you know, you’re going to practice for that,” Sinner further praised Alcaraz.

On the court, their rivalry fuels each other’s improvement. Alcaraz pushes Sinner to elevate his game, motivating him to work harder. “We try to put on a big fight,” Sinner said, highlighting their competitive spirit. This healthy rivalry brings out the best of both players. But, as their rivalry intensifies in the coming years, will their friendship continue to blossom? What do you think?