“Two hours later we are in the same plane, having some laughs, making jokes” : Carlos Alcaraz talks about the plane ride he shared with Jannik Sinner hours after China Open win
Thanks to the ATP’s tight scheduling, the final two contestants of the China Open had to travel to the next event situated in Shanghai in the same plane. If it were anyone else, things may well have gone weird, but apart from being the two best players in the world, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have grown to become great friends along the way as well.
The Spainard and Italian have been in top form throughout the year, which was showcased in the ATP 500 final played in Beijing. The match lasted for a draining 3 hours and 21 minutes, and Alcaraz was able to dethrone the reigning champion in the last tiebreak 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3). This win also maintained the Spainard’s unbeaten streak over the world no.1 this year, while extending the overall lead between them to 6-4.
But just a few hours later and essentially no rest, the duo and their team travelled together in the same flight, a moment which has gone viral due to obvious reasons. In no other sport other than tennis does it happen that two opponents, after facing against each other in a major final are seen travelling together to the next event, where they could possibly face each other yet again.
Carlos Alcaraz admits having a good relationship off the court with Jannik Sinner is helpful
After the dominance portrayed by the Big 3 in the last two decades, it was speculated as to who in the next generation would finally be their successors. But the way Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have leaped far ahead of their competitors in such a short amount of time, is almost uncanny like.
The Spainard after his impressive win in the China Open final, addressed the media about his experience with Sinner while travelling together, and revealed that it felt like ‘nothing happened before’.
“It is weird; it’s a weird thing but I think tennis is different than the other sports because of it.” said Alcaraz (via Tennis TV).
“We’re fighting against each other – three hours match; he could win, but in the end I got the win. And then two hours later we are in the same plane, having some laughs, making jokes, talking about life. And it’s like, we’re acting like nothing happened before,” he said about the time spent with two-time Grand Slam champion.” the reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion added.
The Spaniard also talked about his relationship off-court with the Italian, stating that this level of respect and friendship is unattainable in other sports.
“Probably in other sports, it could be impossible to do it, but I think in tennis we have a really good relationship off the court as well, obviously, when we step on the court, we always want to win with the opponent, but after that we have a really good relationship with everyone, so we can do it,” the 21-year-old explained.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner, in his post-final conference praised the Spainard’s abilities and admitted their rivalry pushes both of them to their absolute limits, in turn making each other into better players coming off the court.
“Yeah, I feel like it’s always great when we meet, no? We try to push ourself and each other to the limits,” Jannik Sinner said. “He for me is a point of where I work. Also today I saw couple things where I need to get better. It’s not only him, there are also other players.” the US Open winner reflected.
“It’s always nice to share the court with him. I feel like also the fans, they like it. Usually the matches are quite long, they’re physical, there are many turning points.” the 23-year-old added praise on Alcaraz.
The duo’s time together in China did not stop at the airport, as they were together for a Nike event after as well. To say Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the two main faces of the tennis world right now, is an understatement, and their camaraderie may well be the key for both to reach the Big 3 levels.
