Carlos Alcaraz has played down the idea of delving into the dark arts with Jannik Sinner in spite of their growing rivalry. The two players are unquestionably the best in the world right now, having emerged as the stars of the new generation. They have claimed the last seven Grand Slam titles between them and will almost certainly win many more over the coming years.
Sinner and Alcaraz have faced each other in the last two Grand Slam titles, with the Spaniard prevailing in a five-set thriller at the French Open. A few weeks later, Sinner gained revenge by winning Wimbledon. While the pair are developing a strong rivalry when it comes to competing for trophies, they have remained on friendly terms with little sign of any bad blood.
Alcaraz was quizzed on the cordial nature of his rivalry with Sinner in a recent interview with the Financial Times. He explained that he did not feel any need to get involved in trash-talking his opponent in the heat of battle.
“Trash-talking gets a lot of attention,” said Alcaraz. “People really like the idea that there is friction between us. That’s what sells, but although tennis is an individual sport, we are with the same players every week, day in and day out.
“Jannik and I, who have had great battles on the court, see each other a lot off of it. We talk, we train together sometimes. And in the end you forge a good relationship, a beautiful relationship.
“We want to win and beat each other, but then off court, being good people and getting along is another matter. For me, that is one of the virtues and values of sport.”
Naturally, their dynamic has drawn plenty of comparisons with the three-pronged rivalry between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Alcaraz, however, is determined to write his own history without trying to emulate the past.
“Tennis has always had great rivalries and great players,” he said. “It’s a privilege that people look at our games that way, with such enthusiasm, but in the end we have no obligation to do what they have done, far from it.
“If you don’t stay strong in your ideals, in what you want, that pressure can eat you. You have to know how to differentiate. We try not to think about any pressure and least of all about doing what they did.”
Alcaraz has gone on record saying that his rivalry with Sinner is making him a better player, given that he needs to find every inch of performance to stand any chance of beating the Italian.
Speaking after his defeat in the Wimbledon final, he said: “This rivalry is coming better and better and I’m grateful for that because it gives me the opportunity to give 100 per cent in every practice. The level I have to maintain to beat Jannik is really high.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk