Tennis

“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. Also Read: “He managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive” : Casper Ruud defends Jannik Sinner as the tennis world divides on the Italian’s doping case

“We can still choose what to play and what not to play” : Jannik Sinner throws out subtle disagreement over Carlos Alcaraz’s statement about exhausting ATP schedule The four major Grand Slam competitions are already over for the season, yet the current ATP schedule still has a few tournaments left till the course of December. Many professional tennis players and analysts have commented about this excessive and unnecessary schedule, while some fans have claimed that increased profit and revenue are being prioritized over the physical well-being of players. The most recent player to point out about the heavy and tiresome tournament schedule is none other than world no. 3 Carlos Alcaraz. The Spainard has had an excellent season himself, winning majors in Wimbledon and the French Open, while also claiming the silver medal in men’s singles in the Paris Olympics. Alcaraz, who recently led Team Europe to the Laver Cup trophy, suggested that ATP is ‘killing’ fellow tennis players by their hectic schedule. The Spainard is not wrong, as especially this summer due to the Olympics, players have barely been able to get two to three weeks’ time to rest and recuperate.  “I’m the kind of player who think there is a lot of tournaments during the year, mandatory tournaments, and probably during the next few years gonna be even more tournaments, more mandatory tournaments. So, I mean, probably they are going to kill us in some way,” said the 21-year-old. Although, Carlos Alcaraz’s Italian counterpart believes otherwise. Jannik Sinner implies that players should skip tournaments as they are given the option to do so During a pre-event press conference for the China Open, world no.1 Jannik Sinner was asked about the Spaniard’s comments regarding the heavy scheduling throughout the year. Sinner did acknowledge on Alcaraz’s comments about it, but also added his own take that players can choose what tournament they want to participate in. “Yeah, the schedule is quite long obviously these years. But we players, we can still choose what to play and what not to play. Obviously, we have some mandatory events, yes. As a player, you can still choose. I think of that,” said the Italian. “It is a very busy schedule this year; there are a lot of tournaments. You don’t have to play a tournament. If you want, you can play. If not, you don’t play. For example, last year and also this year, I didn’t play some tournaments because I wanted to practice. There are some choices behind this. In general, yeah, the season is quite long, so sometimes it’s not easy,” the world no.1 added. The Italian himself has had one of the best breakthrough seasons ever, winning both hardcourt Grand Slam titles, all while getting pressed over controversial doping allegations in the summer. Sinner also skipped a few minor tournaments, which may well have been key for him to feel fresh and clear-minded ahead of the majors. Meanwhile, Alcaraz participated in almost all tournaments, and his slip in form due to fatigue in recent tournaments have been constantly highlighted. Both the world no.1 and 3 will be participating in the ATP 500 held in Beijing, China. The Italian, who is far ahead of any player in the rankings, will start his campaign against Nicolas Jarry. The Spaniard is put in the bottom half of the draw, against Giovanni Mpetshi. The China Open will begin this Thursday, concluding on October 2nd.  Also Read: “He managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive” : Casper Ruud defends Jannik Sinner as the tennis world divides on the Italian’s doping case