Reigniting the rivalry in the ‘Eternal City’! Carlos Alcaraz has already got off to a winning start at the Italian Open. Now, it’s time for Jannik Sinner to deliver. The 23-year-old Italian will be making a comeback to the Tour after serving a three-month ban due to the doping incident. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding his comeback, and we’ve already seen around 5,000 fans attending his first practice session. Several reactions have been coming in on the return of the world number one in the Tour. Previously, Alcaraz spoke about how the pressure to reclaim the top spot during Sinner’s absence has probably “killed” him in some way. He’s still sitting in the third spot in the ranking. However, Alcaraz would benefit largely from a successful run at the Italian Open as he’ll be defending the maximum 4000 points across the French Open and Wimbledon. What does the Spaniard say about having his biggest rival back on the Tour?
Previously, Carlos Alcaraz claimed that he and Jannik Sinner “are not close friends,” but they have mutual respect. That level of respect was reflected during one of their conversations in October 2024. Alcaraz said, “I want to say I’m grateful to have him around on tour. Thanks to him I push myself to the limit. I give my 100% every day to be a better player. It’s a pleasure every time I share the court with him. Sometimes it’s tough to find the joy. But it’s great every time I face him.” Even the Italian claimed, “We try to push ourselves to the limit. I wake up in the morning trying to understand the ways to beat him.“
Talking about this rivalry, they have now met each other ten times on the Tour, with Alcaraz leading the H2H record by a 6-4 margin. At the Italian Open, there is a chance of them facing each other in the final. But before that, Carlos Alcaraz shared his thoughts on how he feels about having Sinner back on the Tour. Before his first match, Alcaraz spoke about how happy he is to have him back in the Tour yet again. Then, in a recent interview with the Tennis Channel, he said, “It [Sinner’s comeback to the tour] is great, honestly. I have seen him around, for me, it’s great to have him back. Honestly, I need him on the tour because, I mean, he pushes me to be a better player and give 100% every day, to be better.“
He also added, “Of course, I am a fan of tennis, and I think that tennis needs him to bring in new fans. His tennis is huge, it’s insane, I love watching him play. So, having the chance to see him and watch his tennis again is great, so I’m just really, really happy, but it’s a different feeling. That’s great for me, for tennis, and for the fans in Rome.” What do Jannik Sinner’s other peers have to say about his comeback?
Well, other than Carlos Alcaraz, even Casper Ruud recently said, “I hope he can play well. There is a high chance he will come out playing really well from the beginning. I hope he will get a good tournament here in Rome.” Jack Draper and Holger Rune got the chance to practice with Sinner when he was on the sidelines. Both of them looked quite amazed by his game during the practice, despite his absence from the Tour for quite some time. What does Rafael Nadal have to say about Jannik Sinner’s comeback?
“It’ll be difficult” – Rafael Nadal shares his verdict on Carlos Alcaraz’s fierce rival Jannik Sinner’s comeback
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in his first match by 6-3,6-3, and next up, he’ll take on another Serbian, Laslo Djere. With this victory, Alcaraz has now recorded a Tour-leading 25th win of the season. We’ve seen the Spaniard struggle a bit with injuries in the last few months. How is he feeling now, though?
After the match, during the press conference, Alcaraz assured, “The body is feeling great. I moved well and made a few good sprints today without any pain, and that is great. It was a test for me, and I think I passed the test. I tried to feel more comfortable on the court. Moving and not thinking about the injury.” Carlos Alcaraz is now chasing his third trophy of the year and second at the Masters 1000 level, after having already triumphed on clay in Monte Carlo.
On the other hand, this will be Jannik Sinner’s sixth appearance at the Italian Open, having made his debut as a wildcard entrant in 2019. He missed this tournament last year due to an injury, but can he make a strong comeback in this edition? Sinner will be facing Argentina’s Mariano Navone in his first match. And according to the ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal, “It’ll be difficult because it is always like this when you return after a period away from competitions. But the positive thing is that Jannik [Sinner] is not returning after an injury; he was able to continue training and preparing, and I think he will take to the field with great desire.“
Seeing the reception Jannik Sinner has got from the home crowd ever since making his comeback, there is no doubt about the huge support he’d get in his matches here. But do you think he can win the 2025 Italian Open?
The post “I Need Him”- Carlos Alcaraz Reveals Why He Felt Incomplete Without Jannik Sinner on Tour appeared first on EssentiallySports.
