Rivalry gathers momentum as Alcaraz and Sinner contest first major final

The Guardian

5 hours ago

Towards the final stretch of the big three's unprecedented period of dominance of the ATP tour, as it became clear that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic would all sequentially vacate their thrones, the future of men's tennis was clouded in uncertainty. Although there was a talented, competitive generation of players born in the 1990s waiting to take their place, the gulf in quality between them was significant. For a short time, it seemed like the men's side of the draw could open up and provide opportunities for any top player brave enough to take them.
The past fortnight in Paris has again underlined how Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have emphatically shut the door on this prospect. As they prepare to face each other in a grand slam final for the first time in their careers at Roland Garros on Sunday, it will mark the sixth consecutive grand slam that has been won by either Sinner, the world No 1, and the world No 2 Alcaraz. From the start of the tournament, it felt inevitable that they would face each other in the championship match.
Their first grand slam final also represents the first major final between two players born in the 2000s. Dominic Thiem's victory over Alexander Zverev in the 2020 US Open final remains the only final between two players born in the 1990s.
Six years ago, in his first ATP challenger tournament and third professional outing overall, a 15-year-old Alcaraz was drawn against Sinner at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Villena, Spain, his training base. The pair had both received wildcards, with Alcaraz completely unranked and a 17-year-old Sinner holding a modest ranking of No 319. Alcaraz won in three sets. Since then, every meeting has only further heightened the anticipation that this would soon be the most important rivalry in the men's game. By the time they were battling at almost 3am in their 2022 US Open quarter-final, an instant classic won in five sets by Alcaraz en route to his first grand slam title, this moment felt inevitable.
'He's a player who makes me a better player,' said Sinner on Friday. 'He pushes me to the limit. We try to understand where we have to improve for the next time I play against him.'
Although he needed more time to iron out his early mental deficiencies, Sinner has established a remarkable level of consistency since he found his path at the end of 2023. Sinner's record is 47-2 since last August, winning the last two grand slam titles at the US Open and Australian Open, and the vast majority of those matches have not even been close. His three-month doping ban between February and May has done little to halt his momentum and form. Six matches into the event, Sinner has undoubtedly been the player of the tournament, tearing through his opponents without dropping a set. Both players have many years to build their résumés, but as he seeks out his first grand slam title away from hard courts, Sinner will also be attempting to win his fourth major title, which would draw him level with Alcaraz.
Those two defeats suffered by Sinner, however, came at the hands of Alcaraz, who won their gripping three-set final in the Beijing Open last year and then recently outplayed Sinner in Rome, Sinner's comeback tournament from his doping ban. In contrast to the composed consistency established by Sinner, Alcaraz can be wild and unpredictable. Just as his varied, complete game has taken him to greater heights than Sinner, the lows have similarly been far more desolate.
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Sinner is one of the purest, most destructive shotmakers on the tour and he robs time from all challengers with his depth, pace and devastating weight of shot. During the early stages of their rivalry, Alcaraz attempted to match the Italian's firepower with his own heavy weaponry but he now understands that his edge in this match-up is the variety he has at his fingertips. Sinner thrives on rhythm and pace, but Alcaraz has spent the past few meetings employing the full toolbox of shots to disrupt the Italian at all costs.
There are ample reasons for Alcaraz to be hopeful about his prospects on Sunday, even as the Italian continues to destroy the rest of the field. Alcaraz has now won their last four meetings, establishing a 7-4 lead in their overall head-to-head, and in a year that has already seen him win in Monte Carlo and Rome, red clay remains the Spaniard's dominant surface. However, in these battles between two generational talents, the only certainty is that every time they enter the court against their greatest rival, the most difficult match of their career awaits.