“He pushes me to wake up every morning with the ambition to improve so that I can beat him” – Alcaraz on Sinner

“The best match I’ve seen in my life: the 2022 US Open quarter-final between Jannik Sinner and you (Carlos Alcaraz).”

These were the words of Mats Wilander, who said this during the on-court interview after Alcaraz’s 6-3, 7-6³, 6-4 victory against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros on Tuesday night.

As a result, in the semi-finals, the Spaniard, the youngest world No 1 in history when he ascended to the summit of men’s tennis at the age of 19 in September 2022 with face Sinner.

Sinner is the new king of men’s tennis, as a result of Novak Djokovic‘s withdrawal. A match that makes Wilander salivate. And all tennis enthusiasts. Because their duel in New York, among others, had reached heights worthy of Olympus as the intensity sometimes bordered on the divine.

“We saw Alcaraz and Sinner at the US Open, these guys are changing the game in their own way, in terms of speed and aggressiveness,” Dominic Thiem said in an interview with Rémi Bourrières for Eurosport two weeks after the famous fight.

“From one end of the match to the other, whatever the score and even on very important points, they are fully committed, they take huge risks and I think we have never seen that too much in the past.”

RIGHT NOW, HE (SINNER) IS THE ONE WHO IS PRODUCING THE BEST TENNIS IN THE WORLD.

Carlos Alcaraz

“Even Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) and Novak (Djokovic) are playing a little bit safer. Of course, they are also very aggressive players, but let’s say that at times they are more defensive, they run everywhere from their baseline without making any mistakes until they wring out the opponent. Which is amazing too. But it’s different. Alcaraz (and Sinner), that’s another kind of tennis.”

On Friday, the two men will face each other for the ninth time, and their record is four wins all over the main circuit. “It’s (playing against Sinner) a very difficult challenge,” the Spaniard told Wilander. “Currently, he is the best player in the world, the one who produces the best tennis. We played great games against each other. The quarter-final of the US Open, but also others afterwards, of a high level.

“I’m delighted that he’s on the circuit. Thanks to him, it pushes me to become better, to give my best every day, to wake up in the morning with the ambition to improve so that I can beat him,” he added. “So I’m grateful to have to play against him, and I also love watching him play. It’s going to be a tough challenge, but I’m ready to try to take it on. I think it’s the game that everyone wants to see. I’m sure he’s going to play his best tennis, and so will I.”

I’M PROBABLY GOING TO FEEL A LITTLE BIT MORE PRESSURE BEFORE I PLAY HIM (SINNER)

Since the end of the 2023 US Open, Sinner has played 57 matches; he has only lost 4. Only Shelton, Djokovic, Tsitsipás and Alcaraz managed to defeat him. “Against Jannik, it’s like running a marathon,” said the nicknamed “Carlitos” at a press conference in Paris.

“He makes you do the windshield wiper. He does everything perfectly. He pushes you to the limit on every ball. That’s the hardest thing when you face him. At the same time, I love it. I like this kind of match.”

“I like this type of challenge, extremely difficult battles,” he added. “I love having to find solutions, like I did in Indian Wells (this year, in the last meeting, a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 win). I lost the first set 6-1, and then I found a way to cause him problems. I think these situations, when you have to try to find solutions, are great for tennis.”

In the current context surrounding men’s tennis, with Federer retired, Nadal getting closer and Djokovic stripped of his world No 1 ranking, the duel between Alcaraz and Sinner has a special flavour.

“I’m probably going to feel a little bit more pressure before I face him (Sinner), I’m not going to lie,” said Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protégé. “That’s probably the biggest challenge we have in tennis right now.”

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