A box-office runaway hit is predicted at the French Open as World Nos 1 and 2 Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz meet this evening. One of them will have to cede their record of having never lost a Slam final.
Alcaraz said it as he felt it. “It’s fun, and not fun, you know. It’s both ways,” Sky Sports quoted him. “But I think we try to push ourselves in the best possible way. I believe when there is a good match, it’s also good to play, you know. It’s not only to watch, but also to play. It’s very special.”
Alcaraz leads Sinner 7-4 in their head-to-head and has beaten the Italian twice on clay courts, including in the semis of the French last year. The Italian’s only victory on clay against Alcaraz was in the final of the 2022 Umag, an ATP 250 tennis tournament, in Croatia. Sinner won the match in straight sets. Sinner, 23, last played the 22-year-old Alcaraz in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 Rome in May this year. The Spaniard beat the Italian 7(7)-6(5), 6-1.
“He’s the best tennis player right now,” Alcaraz was quoted as saying by France 24 and AFP, of Sinner, a man who is yet to drop a set at French Open. “I mean, he’s destroying every opponent. It’s going to be a really great Sunday for fans of tennis,” said Alcaraz, who is defending his title and will need to be at his best, to deny Sinner a maiden French Open trophy.
“I love that battle. But most of the time it is just about suffering, because (he pushes) you to the limit,” Alcaraz quipped, given both are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals, but that is set to change. Alcaraz is 4-3 up in majors.
For the Spaniard, battles with Sinner are still in the realms of quirks-in-progress. “But my favourite thing is it gives you the feedback of how can I be better, a better player. I think that’s important, and that’s beautiful, even though if I win or not,” Alcaraz, who is 21-1 on clay, this year, said.
Sinner acknowledged the rivalry and the start to Grand Slam shoot-offs. “The stage, it doesn’t get any bigger now. Grand Slam finals against Carlos, it’s a special moment for me and for him, too,” Sinner was quoted as saying by France 24 and AFP.
“The tension you feel before the match and during the match is a little bit different in a way, because we are both very young, we are both different, but talented.”
While the two have fetched up to slot in to the emptiness left bybthe departure of Nadal and Federer, and Djokovic’s slow fade-out, Sinner reckons the duo are not quite still in that exalted level on achievements. “It takes time to compare us with the big three,” said Sinner.
“I believe that tennis or every sport needs rivalries, no? This could be potentially one of these, but there are amazing players coming up.”
Djokovic said the two young turks couldn’t be added to the same conversation the Big 3. “At the moment, that’s kind of hard, because they need to play against each for at least 10-plus years non-stop in order to be part of the same discussion,” Djokovic laughed.
“But they’re definitely great for tennis, both of them. I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt. I’m sure that we’re going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often.”
Alcaraz leads Sinner 7-4 in their head-to-head and has beaten the Italian twice on clay courts, including in the semis of the French Open last year. (Reuters) 
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