Carlos Alcaraz dismissed the notion that he gives any thought to the impact he is having on men’s tennis, alongside his rival Jannik Sinner.Alcaraz and Sinner have proved worthy successors as they became the new dominant force in men’s tennis following on from the “Big Three” – comprising Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – and the new leading pair have already played out some classics.
The top-two ranked players have regularly reminded the public of their off-court friendship, despite their high-octane clashes with racquet in hand.
But Alcaraz is not paying any attention to his and Sinner’s mark on the sport thus far, and predicted their rivalry will go on for some time.
“Jannik and I, I think we’ve done great things in tennis already in such a short period,” Alcaraz, a five-time Grand Slam winner, said.
‘We’ve done great things’ – Alcaraz on battle for tennis supremacy with Sinner
Video credit: SNTV
“I just let the people talk about our rivalry, or the things that we have done for the history books in tennis. I’m not thinking about the history we’re making in tennis.
“I think we have such a long career ahead just to see how far we can go. And if we already made – or not – history in tennis… it’s just for the people to discuss it.”
Despite Sinner’s world No. 1 status, Alcaraz holds an 8-5 record over the Italian, and had won five consecutive meetings before their clash at the All England Club last month.
Lifting a fourth career Grand Slam title at SW19 represented a “very emotional day” for Sinner – following a year which included his defeat in Paris after returning from a three-month doping ban.
“It was a moment I’ve never felt before,” Sinner said. “Only me and my team know exactly what we went through.
“The week before Wimbledon was maybe one of the best practice weeks I’ve had. Before the tournament, I told my team ‘I’m ready to play,’ but we didn’t know how I’d react after Paris.
“I had a very early exit in Halle, which, in a way, turned out fine. Then, match after match, I felt better, more ready.
Wimbledon highlights: Sinner defeats Alcaraz in thrilling final to claim maiden title
Video credit: SNTV
“I got lucky with Grigor [Dimitrov, who retired injured while two sets ahead in the round-of-16], and I took it as a sign you never know what’s going to happen.
“That’s how it is in tennis. You have to understand why and how some things happen. I really raised my level. I played some of the best tennis I could play.”
The US Open – which commences on August 24 – may be the last opportunity to see Alcaraz and Sinner face off in Grand Slam action this year, should the pair again reach the latter stages of the tournament.
Watch and stream top tennis action live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+