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Alcaraz–Sinner rivalry
Tennis rivalry since 2021 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The tennis rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner emerged in the early 2020s. Colloquially referred to by the media and fans as "Sincaraz", a portmanteau of their names,[1] the pair have faced each other 13 times since 2021, with Alcaraz leading the rivalry 8–5, including 3–2 at majors and 3–2 in finals. They have met in two major finals: the 2025 French Open, won by Alcaraz, and the 2025 Wimbledon Championships, won by Sinner.
Carlos Alcaraz
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Jannik Sinner
Alcaraz and Sinner are considered to be the two best tennis players of their generation, each winning multiple major titles—Alcaraz with five and Sinner with four—and both reaching the world No. 1 ranking.[2][3] The most successful men's players born in the 21st century, the pair have been dubbed by some commentators as the "New Two" or the "Big Two", in reference to the Big Three.[4][5]
The rivalry has been described as "potentially era-defining",[6] with multiple matches regarded as classics, including a 2022 US Open quarterfinal and the 2025 French Open final,[7][8] both of which Alcaraz won after saving match points in the fourth set.
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History
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Before playing an ATP Tour-level match, Alcaraz and Sinner had previously played a Challenger match at the JC Ferrero Open in 2019, won by Alcaraz as a 15-year-old in his first match at that level.[9] However, Challenger-level matches are generally not counted towards head-to-head tallies.
2021
I am so happy for this win as Jannik was fighting for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. It’s my third top 10 win of the year. I think Jannik and I will have a great rivalry in the future.[10]
Carlos Alcaraz, following his first ATP Tour match against Jannik Sinner
Alcaraz and Sinner met for the first time at the ATP Tour level at the 2021 Paris Masters, where an 18-year-old Alcaraz, ranked world No. 35, upset a 20-year-old Sinner in straight sets. This match significantly bumped Sinner down to ninth position for the ATP Finals, where he had been hoping to make his first appearance as a seed.[10]
2022
Alcaraz and Sinner met three times in 2022.[11] They met for the first time in the fourth round of Wimbledon, where Alcaraz lost to Sinner in four sets.[12]
The pair met again later that month in their first final in Umag, where Alcaraz was the defending champion. Alcaraz took the first set before being breadsticked twice by Sinner in the second and third sets.[13] This was Sinner's first title on clay courts.
Their third meeting in 2022 was in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Alcaraz took the first set before losing the second and third sets in two tiebreaks. He then saved a match point in the fourth set, before recovering to win in five. The match lasted five hours and 15 minutes, and recorded the latest finish in the history of the tournament at 2:50AM.[14] It is widely considered one of the best matches of their rivalry to date.[7][15] Alcaraz went on to win the tournament, claiming his first major title and becoming the youngest men's world no. 1 in the Open Era.[16]
2023
Alcaraz and Sinner met three times in 2023.[17] Their first encounter was a semifinal at Indian Wells, which Alcaraz claimed in straight sets en route to the title.[18][19] Two weeks later they met again at the same stage in Miami, where Sinner defeated defending champion Alcaraz in three sets, dashing his hopes of achieving the Sunshine Double.[20]
They met for a final time in 2023 in the semifinals of Beijing, where Sinner defeated Alcaraz in straight sets for the first time en route to the title, pulling ahead in the rivalry at 4–3.[21]
2024
Alcaraz and Sinner met three times in 2024. All three matches were won by Alcaraz.[22]
Their first encounter was a rematch at Indian Wells. Defending champion Alcaraz was breadsticked by Sinner in the first set, before recovering to win the match in three sets en route to retaining his title. He snapped Sinner's 19-match win streak and levelled their rivalry at 4–4.[23]
They next met in June for a semifinal encounter at the French Open. Both players had experienced injuries earlier in the clay season and struggled physically throughout a gruelling five-set encounter.[24][25] Despite the length of the match, it is not generally considered to be one of their higher quality encounters.[26] Alcaraz won the match, drawing ahead in the rivalry at 5–4, and went on to win the title.[27] Following the tournament, Sinner became world No. 1 for the first time.[28]
Their last meeting in 2024 was in the final of Beijing, where Sinner was the defending champion. Despite Sinner initially taking a 3-0 lead, Alcaraz won seven consecutive points in a dramatic third-set tiebreak to clinch the title.[29] At three hours and 21 minutes, it was the longest match in the history of the tournament. Alcaraz snapped Sinner's 15-match win streak and returned to No. 2 in the world rankings.[30]
2025
Alcaraz and Sinner have met three times so far in 2025, with Alcaraz winning the first two matches and Sinner the last.
Their first meeting was in the final of the Italian Open. This was Sinner's first tournament after serving a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation.[a] Alcaraz clinched a nervy first set which ended in a tiebreak, before going on to dominate Sinner in the second set. This was Sinner's first loss in straight sets since 2023, and snapped Sinner's 26-match win streak, which had been ongoing since their last match in Beijing.[32]
Less than a month later, they met in the French Open final, where Alcaraz was the defending champion. Sinner established a two-set lead, before Alcaraz came back to take the third set. In the fourth set, Sinner held three championship points on Alcaraz's serve at 5–3. Alcaraz held from 0–40 and resurged to force a tiebreak and win the set. The match went to a fifth set, which Alcaraz eventually claimed in a dominant super tiebreak.[33] This was Alcaraz's fifth consecutive win over Sinner, and Sinner's first loss in a major final. At five hours and 29 minutes, it was the longest-ever French Open final. It was also the first major final to be contested by two men born in the 21st century.[34] The Guardian acclaimed it as "one of the greatest finals ever played, in any sport."[35]
Six weeks later, at Wimbledon, both players reached consecutive major finals, with Sinner prevailing this time in four sets to win his first Wimbledon title. Sinner's victory over Alcaraz ended several streaks: his five consecutive losing runs against Alcaraz, Alcaraz’s winning streak at Wimbledon and since the French Open, and it marked Alcaraz’s first loss in a Grand Slam final.[36]
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Head-to-head matches
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Singles (13)
Alcaraz 8 – Sinner 5
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Statistical comparison
Big titles
ATP year-end ranking timeline
Performance timeline comparison (Grand Slam tournaments)
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
- Bold = players met during this tournament
2019–2024
2025–present
Combined singles performance timeline (best result)
Alcaraz–Sinner Grand Slam tournament era (2022–present)
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Significant achievements
- Longest French Open final ever played (2025 French Open) at 5 hours and 29 minutes.
- First major final contested between two men born in the 21st century (i.e. after the year 2000)[34]
See also
Notes
- The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed in a statement that they accepted Sinner did not intend to cheat, the violation provided no performance-enhancing benefit, and it occurred "without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage". Under the World Anti-Doping Code, an athlete bears responsibility for their entourage's negligence, leading to the agreed-upon three-month suspension.[31]
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References
External links
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