Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have been putting on some incredible tennis shows lately. But here’s something pretty fascinating about their rivalry – the ATP world No. 1 doesn’t just think about Alcaraz when they’re actually playing each other.
Sinner finally broke through against his biggest rival at Wimbledon this year. He’d lost five straight matches to Alcaraz before that (not counting exhibition matches), but he really stepped up when it mattered most.
The Italian won that Wimbledon final in four sets by serving better and staying more consistent from the back of the court.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannik Sinner | 24 | 15,405 | 33 - 3 |
These two have been pushing each other to get better, and they’ll both tell you that. It’s working pretty well too – they’ve won the last seven Grand Slam tournaments since the start of 2024.
Sinner grabbed four of those titles.
Sinner’s Secret Study Sessions
But here’s where it gets really interesting. Sinner’s fascination with Alcaraz goes way beyond their head-to-head matches.
His coach Darren Cahill dropped this bombshell after Wimbledon:
"Jannik watches more Carlos matches than he does anybody else. Because he’s fascinated with the improvements coming in his game. And he’s pushing us as coaches to make sure that he’s improving also as a tennis player. The rivalry is real. It’s there. Hopefully it’s going to be there and real for the next 10 or 12 years."
Think about that for a second. The world’s best player is basically studying his biggest competitor like homework.
It shows you just how determined Sinner is to keep getting better. Even though he’s already at the top, he’s constantly looking for ways to improve his game.
And what better way to do that than watching the one guy who’s been giving him the most trouble?
A Different Kind of Rivalry
What makes this whole thing even more remarkable is how well these two actually get along. We’re talking about a friendship that might be unique in tennis history.
Sinner is 23, Alcaraz is 22. They’re basically the same age, fighting for the same trophies, and somehow they genuinely like each other.
Compare that to some of the heated rivalries we’ve seen before. John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors couldn’t stand each other. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi had their moments. Even Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic got pretty intense in the early days.
Those guys probably never wanted to watch each other play unless they absolutely had to.
Even Federer and Nadal, who everyone talks about as the perfect example of mutual respect, had their issues. Federer once complained publicly about Nadal’s slow play after an Australian Open match.
Sure, Federer and Nadal eventually became good friends. But Sinner and Alcaraz seem to have skipped right past the animosity phase entirely.
It’s pretty refreshing, honestly.
The Coach Who Almost Got Away
Speaking of Cahill, there’s another interesting subplot here. He was actually planning to step back from Sinner’s team at the end of this season.
But after that Wimbledon breakthrough, it sounds like Sinner might have convinced him to stick around.
Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi have been coaching Sinner since July 2022. In that time, they’ve helped transform him from a promising player into the world No. 1.
That’s quite a journey in just over two years.
Losing Cahill would be a pretty big blow for Sinner, especially given how close they’ve become. The 59-year-old might not travel to every tournament in 2026, but based on what Sinner’s been saying, it sounds like they’ll figure out a way to keep working together.
After all, if you’ve got a formula that’s working this well, why mess with it?
