“It Didn’t Matter” – Carlos Alcaraz Shows No Sign of Fear Against Jannik Sinner and Others in an Honest Confession Ahead of the ATP Finals

The rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is something fans can’t get enough of. Whenever they face each other, one can always expect an epic showdown on the court, with the two of them always trying to prove their dominance over one another. With the ATP Finals draw getting confirmed, however, it seems they might not have one more face-off this season – at least not in the group stage. But Carlos doesn’t really care.

Talking to Marca, during an interview dated November 9th, Alcaraz revealed his honest thoughts on there being no Sinner in his group in the ATP Finals. When asked whether he was actually affected by not having his arch-rival in the same group, the Spaniard said, “It didn’t matter to me, it didn’t matter to me because in the end the eight best players in the world play here and to be the best you have to beat the best.”

Simply put, it’s not just playing against Sinner but all other great players too. But being a rival to the Fox, Alcaraz did express his wish to go against him in case he makes it into the final rounds. “If not in the groups it will be in the semi-finals or the final if I qualify,” he said.

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via Imago

Alongside Sinner, however, Alcaraz also admires Alexander Zverev as a tough opponent. According to the Spaniard, “They are two of the best at the moment.” It’s worth noting that Jannik was the first player, among the two, to qualify for the season finale, back in August. Moreover, he’s been in incredible form, claiming seven trophies in 2024, including two Grand Slams, namely the Australian Open and the US Open. Not to mention that he also claimed the top position in the ATP rankings before the end of the season.

On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz qualified for Turin back in September. Just like Sinner, he has also been in impressive touch this year and has won a total of four titles, including two Grand Slam titles (French Open and Wimbledon). The two faced each other on several occasions this year. Their last meeting, in an ATP event, was in the China Open final in October.

In that match, the Spaniard reigned supreme over the Italian. After trailing in the first set, Alcaraz came back strongly and took the match and championship with a score of 6-7, 6-4, 7-6. However, the Fox didn’t take long to settle the scores. During the Six Kings Slam’s title clash, in mid-October, he beat Carlos 6-7, 6-3, 6-3.

While their rivalry is expected to grow more in the future, a former ATP pro and Novak Djokovic’s ex-coach has already picked Sinner as his favorite. According to him, the Italian is more dominating than Alcaraz.

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Goran Ivanisevic rates Jannik Sinner higher than Carlos AlcarazGoran recently expressed his honest opinions on who he thinks is better – Carlos Alcaraz or Sinner. In an interview with Tennis Majors, dated November 5th, he answered, “They’re different players. But when they are both at their best, I feel that Sinner is better. He is more consistent throughout the match, whether Alcaraz can go from hitting amazing shots to some easy errors. This year, Carlos had a few losses I couldn’t explain… If we move Novak out of the equation, they will dominate, they are way above anyone else on the Tour.”

Interestingly, Ivanisevic also picked Alexander Zverev as his other favorite. However, he highlighted the German’s lack of consistency saying that “He really needs to put it together, where he needs to perform at his best – that’s when he fails, and against Alcaraz and Sinner, you need to be at your best always.”

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On the contrary, former WTA pro-Tracy Austin believes that Alcaraz is comparatively better than the Fox. She said, “Sinner might come up with a shot that keeps him back in play and then use his wheels to get back in the point. But Alcaraz, he could hit a winner from his knees, I mean, the guy is so offensive.” Austin tried to imply that Carlos’ style of hitting servers and volleys is impressive.

Coming back to the ATP Finals, the two will begin their campaigns on Monday, November 11th. Alcaraz will be up against Casper Ruud in the John Newcombe Group. On the other hand, Jannik will face Alex de Minaur in the Nastase Group. Who will you root for? Let us know in the comments.