Jannik Sinner has spent the season locked in one of modern tennis' most compelling duels - the one he shares with Carlos Alcaraz. The two great rivals have played in six notable finals since May, culminating in Sunday night's ATP Finals title clash.
The Italian insists that behind the intensity lies a genuine friendship shaped by mutual respect and a surprisingly easy rapport. Sinner explained that players today still share a sense of camaraderie, even if the sport has changed a lot.
Teams are bigger and schedules are tighter than before. However, the locker room still produces real bonds and notable memories. Jannik feels fortunate to have a circle of players he considers friends.
Alongside fellow Italians, there are also Jack Draper and Reilly Opelka. The story finally brings us to Carlos Alcaraz, his greatest rival. As the Italian admits, that dynamic is different, for obvious reasons.
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Their rivalry has defined men's tennis in the previous two years. It brings a unique layer of complexity, but without preventing them from maintaining a warm connection away from the court.
Jannik sees Carlos as someone he cam speak openly with about anything. After all, the Spaniard understands the same pressures, expectations and competitive fire better than anyone, with the majestic duo distancing themselves from their opponents.
Like the players, their teams have developed a comfortable harmony and added to the sense of mutual trust between men's tennis leadingcamps. As always in his case, Sinner sees it from the perspective of balance.
He and Carlos are fierce competitors on the court who sincerely respect each other and have no issues embracingconversation about any topic. In the Italian's eyes, that blend is what makes their rivalry so special and why tennis fans are witnessing something truly rare.
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Sinner and Alcaraz have won every Major title since the beginning of 2024. Their lead over their rivals on the ATP rankings list is nothing but spectacular, and we will likely see more of that in 2026.
We can already predict mutual praise, incredible battles and the level unmatched by any other player.
"Well, I feel like we had this conversation a bit with Darren. He used to play back in the day. Players used to go to dinner together because the teams were smaller. You tend to be a bit more together, and you open yourself up with stories in the locker room.
I still feel it's a bit like this. You have your favorite players you can call friends in the locker room. Of course, I believe that Carlos has great friends and I have great friends, too. You tend to go a bit more in the national team because it's normal.
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I spend more time with Italians, but I'm also close with Jack Draper and Reilly Opelka. They are honest, and we can get along very well. It's a bit different with Carlos because of on-court reasons. We have a very good relationship or rivalry, call it whatever.
I feel like we can talk about everything, and I think it's great. We are good friends off the court. We do respect each other in a very healthy way. Also, our teams get along very well. I think it's a good harmony.
At the same time, there's also the work and all the rest behind, which it's all about balance," Jannik Sinner said.
