French Open final: Jannik Sinner says rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz the tonic tennis needs
The 23-year-old Italian beat Novak Djokovic to book a mouth-watering final on Sunday against his main rival, who is defending his crown
Jannik Sinner said his battle for supremacy with fellow French Open finalist Carlos Alcaraz could become the defining rivalry of their era and is something the sport needed with its golden generation of players calling time on their careers.
Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 in a generational battle on Court Philippe Chatrier to deny his Serbian opponent a record 25th grand slam and left him unsure whether he would ever return to Roland-Garros, where he has won three major trophies.
The 23-year-old Italian, who is seeking his fourth grand slam title, booked a mouth-watering meeting on Sunday with his main rival Alcaraz, who will aim to retain his crown at Roland-Garros and add a fifth major crown to his trophy cabinet.
With Djokovic now the only active member of tennis’ “Big Four”, which also included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray and yielded a collective 69 major titles in more than two decades, Sinner sensed an opportunity for him and Alcaraz.
“It takes time to compare us with the Big Three or Big Four, no? Only time can tell, to be honest,” Sinner said.
“For sure, from my point of view, he’s a player who makes me a better player. He pushes me to the limit. We try to understand where we have to improve, for the next times I play against him.