Can Alcaraz-Sinner become the greatest tennis rivalry of all time?

Can Alcaraz-Sinner become the best tennis rivalry ever?

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Pheasant said:
I like Sinner and Alcaraz equally, but for completely different reasons. Alcaraz is this this ripped monster with all kinds of energy and variety on the court. Sinner is this guy built like a pipe cleaner that is so nonchalant while playing. I like them both, even though they are polar opposites. I like Rune, but a little less than Sinneraz.
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Same. I'm a card-carrying Sinner fan boy, but love the way Alcaraz does things too. Im kind of willing Rune forward. I want him to join the party pretty badly.
 
I'm most excited about what they can accomplish as a duo. Usually one of them wins if both compete. 2024 Madrid is the only big title they lost since 2024 with both players participating, and Carlos was injured:

2024: Monte Carlo (Carlos absent), Madrid, Rome (both absent), Canada (Carlos absent), Paris (Sinner absent).

2025: Indian Wells (Sinner absent), Miami (Sinner absent), Madrid (Carlos absent).
 
dking68 said:
I think he was a bit unlucky in his last 4 losses to Raz

1. He was a bit subdued in IW after a very dominant first set. Started missing easy forehands - I believe he was sick or injured after that first set?

2. Missed a very easy overhead at RG which would’ve generated break point for Sinner and he could’ve defeated Raz in 4 sets

3. In Beijing, he had the WADA reappeal running on his mind and Alcaraz played his best hardcourt tournament to date, clean tennis and not dropping a set. He led in the final set tiebreak and lost 7 points in a row to Raz, losing in a tight 3 setter

4. Choked 2 set points and who knows, that really could’ve changed the course of the match. Also his first tournament back from not playing competitively for 3 months.

I am not happy he has these losses, but for some reason I think he’s going to surprise many, including Raz at RG. We will just have to wait and see.
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If Sinner doesn't beat him at Wimbledon and especially at the US Open, the Italian's confidence will plummet, and it won't be easy for him to turn this difficult situation around against his biggest rival.
:confused:
 
dking68 said:
I think he was a bit unlucky in his last 4 losses to Raz

1. He was a bit subdued in IW after a very dominant first set. Started missing easy forehands - I believe he was sick or injured after that first set?

2. Missed a very easy overhead at RG which would’ve generated break point for Sinner and he could’ve defeated Raz in 4 sets

3. In Beijing, he had the WADA reappeal running on his mind and Alcaraz played his best hardcourt tournament to date, clean tennis and not dropping a set. He led in the final set tiebreak and lost 7 points in a row to Raz, losing in a tight 3 setter

4. Choked 2 set points and who knows, that really could’ve changed the course of the match. Also his first tournament back from not playing competitively for 3 months.

I am not happy he has these losses, but for some reason I think he’s going to surprise many, including Raz at RG. We will just have to wait and see.
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1000%. Indian Wells was a really interesting one. Sinner was on a completely different planet in that first set. Alcaraz responded and started playing way better and some of the tennis was out of this world in that match, but Sinner definitely got a leg injury at some point which he ended up labouring through clay season with.

There are a lot of people concerned about Sinner in the Sincaraz matchup, but it is what it is. It may end up staying the case that Sinner is better against the field, but Alcaraz leads that head to head. There is still so much tennis to be played that it's way too early imo to see an established pattern. If i could predict anything it would be that they end up wrestling control back and forth many times and things will level out now that they will meet in hardcourt majors more often. The Biggest "if" for me is more about whether a third player will come along who can stop them.

As a Sinner fan the one thing that I am slightly salty about is that Sinner inspires Alcaraz to play his best tennis in a way that no one else does. But even then I would far prefer to see Sinner lose to Alcaraz playing superb tennis than a mug like Zverev. There is something about the matchup with Sinner that energizes Alcaraz that is not there to the same extent when Carlitos plays Novaxx.
 
SonnyT said:
Let the Alcaraz-Sinner surpass Becker-Edberg first, and then we can talk!
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Lendl vs. McEnroe was the official open era record before the big 3/4/5 era, with 36 completed matches (21-15 to Lendl) and 1 abandoned match (McEnroe led 7-6, 1-4 in the 1987 Stratton Mountain final).
 
Definitely the best match-up on tour right now with some really good instant classics already. I think the majority of fans want that Alcaraz/Sinner, late tournament match. Especially the ATP and advertisers.
 
Certainly could but probably won't be. Alcaraz is too inconsistent, not reaching the latter stages of tournaments to meet more consistently. It's gonna be even more harder ranked #1 and #2. They only can meet in the finals of majors and masters now. I would love to see them meet in the finals of the next two majors, though. Would be great for the sport if these two keep meeting.
 
Alcaraz is so inconsistent that he has won 5/17 slams he entered

And 1 semifinal - dude is like Nadal not losing in semis a lot

And four quarterfinals.

I would be shocked to see someone more consistent at his age. No one is.

Now setting standards ridiculously high is of no use. In slams he is uber consistent. And shockingly similar results to Nadal.
 
dking68 said:
I think he was a bit unlucky in his last 4 losses to Raz

1. He was a bit subdued in IW after a very dominant first set. Started missing easy forehands - I believe he was sick or injured after that first set?

2. Missed a very easy overhead at RG which would’ve generated break point for Sinner and he could’ve defeated Raz in 4 sets

3. In Beijing, he had the WADA reappeal running on his mind and Alcaraz played his best hardcourt tournament to date, clean tennis and not dropping a set. He led in the final set tiebreak and lost 7 points in a row to Raz, losing in a tight 3 setter

4. Choked 2 set points and who knows, that really could’ve changed the course of the match. Also his first tournament back from not playing competitively for 3 months.

I am not happy he has these losses, but for some reason I think he’s going to surprise many, including Raz at RG. We will just have to wait and see.
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i think that he was not a bit but a very "lucky" to even could compite for last year and little more. on the other hand if did not he would not lose to raz eather so he was little be unlucky to lose to him anyway i guess!
 
Who will stop raz ? For now many. Who will stop sinner , not many.

This is exact same with fedal and rafole in their peaks so having the field worse doesn't matter much in the end. When you are ahead of the rest , you win.
 
Rafole holds record for playing 4 finals in a row.

I will be very pessimistic about the field ONCE sineraz matches it. They likely wouldn't.

I think rafole is better rivalry.
 
DSH said:
If Sinner doesn't beat him at Wimbledon and especially at the US Open, the Italian's confidence will plummet, and it won't be easy for him to turn this difficult situation around against his biggest rival.
:confused:
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If Sinner lost to him at those events, yes, his confidence would plummet. But if Sinner won those events without beating Alcaraz en route, then Sinner's confidence would rise.
 
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If they have a classic Wimbledon match then we’re well on our way. IMO one of the best things about Nadal-Federer and Nadal-Djokovic is that they went nuts on all 3 surfaces with AO 09, Rome 06 and Wim 07/08 and AO 12, RG 13 and Wim 18. Also had a bunch of good Bo3 matches on hard and clay (even 2 setters that were super high quality too)

That being said, Sinner has to start winning some of the “classic” matches lol. He’s lost every epic they’ve had so far (I don’t think Miami 23 was a classic)

I also think that so far this rivalry has been curiously devoid of epic points in the way that one might expect from the quality of their play. The Alcaraz behind the back shot at USO 22 and Sinner’s point at Miami 23 come to mind. But Djokovic had more memorable points in the AO 25 QF than Sinner has had in any one match vs Raz so far
 
Going back in time and checking the matches where a duo played 4/4 finals in a row or 3/4 finals in a row

Djokovic Nadal 4/4 - 2011 wimby to 2012 rg

Federer Nadal 3/4 - 2008 rg to 2009 AO

There is no other pair of players in open era who played 3/4 or 4/4 slam finals. Do I think sineraz can do it ?

Odds are 50% for me to go 3/4 and 20 % to go 4/4.
 
It definitely can.

One thing in its favour is both guys are the same age, so if neither of them get injured or go on Andre Agassi mental walkabouts for months/years at a time we should be guaranteed some fireworks for years to come.

Another thing is the contrasting play styles. You've got the calm discipline of Sinner Vs creativity and improvisation of Alcaraz.

All of which is enhanced by both guys being capable of generating enormous power from both wings, and are both whippet quick around a court, AND they can both remain standing after 5 and a half hours of ALL of the above.
 
Berrettini_Fan said:
By your logic, shouldn't you have been very pessimistic about the field when Rafole played 4 Slam Finals in a row?
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I think what we have is rise of new players since 2024.

Musetti is better now than ever before.
Draper is better than ever before.
Fils is big ballbasher who is getting into the spotlight.

3 guys who are ready NOW, not five years from today. Not 2 years before today.

Then we have zverev who is neither declining nor improving. He is right there.
 
Until sineraz do 4/4 finals

And I want to have good faith conversation so I will also allow 3/4 like fedal

They are not meeting every time. This was literally the first slam finals and 4th slam meeting between the two.

Rafole met 18 times. 18 >> 4. Quality and quantity.
 
will be fascinating to see if their third or fourth Big 3/4 comes along

we'll get a good look at Draper later this month at Wimbledon

hopefully we'll have a much fuller understanding of Fils sooner rather than later

that Mensik serve is awesome...that gives him a good start but he needs to show a lot more still

Fonseca?....I think it's clear that's going to take some time

any other very young guys or juniors we should be looking at?

and as much I now hate to say it (or see it), Zverev is still lingering

don't forget, when it comes to slam finals 12 matches have to go 'right' to have Sinner and Alcaraz play...even if you're looking for high quality Masters matches, 8 or 10 things have to go right....can Alcaraz not have dips like he has against lesser players?....we expect Sinner not to but it's hard to continue to be as ultra-consistent as he's been forever
 
RS said:
Will they get close to pass Nadalovic's 60 matches?
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Tbh I hope not, a lot of those ludicrously long rivalries in recent years were down to youngsters not reaching the latter stages of tournaments so it was always old guys with broken bodies facing each other in semis and finals.
 
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nolefam_2024 said:
Going back in time and checking the matches where a duo played 4/4 finals in a row or 3/4 finals in a row

Djokovic Nadal 4/4 - 2011 wimby to 2012 rg

Federer Nadal 3/4 - 2008 rg to 2009 AO

There is no other pair of players in open era who played 3/4 or 4/4 slam finals. Do I think sineraz can do it ?

Odds are 50% for me to go 3/4 and 20 % to go 4/4.
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Who is going to stop that from happening? None of these bums are anywhere near the level we saw on Sunday, except Nole, but he’s 38 and declining rapidly.
 
Hood_Man said:
Tbh I hope not, a lot of those ludicrously long rivalries in recent years were down to youngsters not reaching the latter stages of tournaments so it was always old guys with broken bodies facing each other in semis and finals.
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What a joke
By the time rafole turned 30..

They had played 49 matches.

Don't rewrite history. I will be there to fact check.
 
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Kralingen said:
Who is going to stop that from happening? None of these bums are anywhere near the level we saw on Sunday, except Nole, but he’s 38 and declining rapidly.
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Who ? I don't know.

That's why I am giving them healthy 20% chance to do so. This is far more chances than someone like sinner to win cygs. Do you know odds of Djokovic winning in start of 2016? 5-7%. 20% is huge.
 
dking68 said:
Nobody will stop Sinner. Somebody can stop Alcaraz
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Alcaraz has the bad habit of defeating Sinner, 9-5, counting the very first meeting at challenger level.

Sinner is playing better than ever, at an incredible level, nevertheless Alcaraz seems to know how to counter
Sinner's power.

Just like the first time they met, Alcaraz was 15yo, and Sinner 17yo. Sinner was on an incredible streak of wins,
3 tournaments in a row, 1 challenger, and 2 ITFs, he ran into a 15yo little boy, and that skinny little boy beat him.

Wimbledon is a do or die for Sinner's psyche.

And in between, Djokovic's last chance.

This coming W is gonna be very, very interesting.
 
Topspin_80 said:
Alcaraz has the bad habit of defeating Sinner, 9-5, counting the very first meeting at challenger level.

Sinner is playing better than ever, at an incredible level, nevertheless Alcaraz seems to know how to counter
Sinner's power.

Just like the first time they met, Alcaraz was 15yo, and Sinner 17yo. Sinner was on an incredible streak of wins,
3 tournaments in a row, 1 challenger, and 2 ITFs, he ran into a 15yo little boy, and that skinny little boy beat him.

Wimbledon is a do or die for Sinner's psyche.

And in between, Djokovic's last chance.

This coming W is gonna be very, very interesting.
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I mean we should truly see another Raz/Jannick final in England.

Is there a chance one of the other slip up? Sure. I didn’t expect medvedev to beat Sinner. But he also was playing well against alcaraz just not good enough in the SFs. Foe had Raz on the ropes and choked in 3R LY.

Maybe Novak can win one more slam at the all England club. I think chances are slim too. But there is a chance.

Draw will determine a lot.
 
ChrisJR3264 said:
I mean we should truly see another Raz/Jannick final in England.

Is there a chance one of the other slip up? Sure. I didn’t expect medvedev to beat Sinner. But he also was playing well against alcaraz just not good enough in the SFs. Foe had Raz on the ropes and choked in 3R LY.

Maybe Novak can win one more slam at the all England club. I think chances are slim too. But there is a chance.

Draw will determine a lot.
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I don't see anyone reaching the final that is not Alcaraz, Sinner, or Djokovic.

Whoever gets Djokovic (probably Alcaraz) will have a tougher draw.

But as you know, tough draws have a way to get softened through upsets.

Since I'm rooting for Alcaraz, I hope, wish, he wins it regardless of the draw, but then winning it with a tough
draw is tastier than with a soft.
 
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