Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier, Manchester United versus Liverpool, the Boston Celtics versus the Los Angeles Lakers, Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei: Sport thrives on rivalries. Audiences become fans of an athlete’s skill, personality, and consistency, and through that connection find a greater thrill in the game itself. Rivalries bring these audiences together, turning their support into fuel for a sport’s growth. Throughout history, these contests have revolutionised sports, and tennis has been fortunate enough to host many.
In men’s singles Tennis, multiple rivalries have defined eras, like Borg-McEnroe and Sampras-Agassi, but the most impactful of them all was between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Federer was an elegant powerhouse famous for his effortless game and remarkable single-handed backhand, while Nadal was the “King of Clay”, owing to his high-spinning forehand and near-perfect record on clay. Along with Novak Djokovic, they ruled men’s tennis for nearly two decades. Yet, the Federer-Nadal pairing remained special, built on a foundation of mutual respect and genuine friendship. With Federer’s retirement in 2022 and Nadal’s farewell tour in 2024, the spot for the next big rivalry in tennis was open for contention, and two young stars have quickly taken over.
First, meet Jannik Sinner. Born in San Candido, Italy, the 24-year-old rose to the top of the men’s standings, achieving the World Number One rank in 2024 after his first Grand Slam win at the Australian Open. Leaving his home at just fourteen to train full-time, he began his development under renowned coach Riccardo Piatti, a mentor to talents like Novak Djokovic and Richard Gasquet. Sinner announced his arrival on the ATP tour in 2019 by winning the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. The following year, at age 19, he became the youngest Italian in the Open Era to win an ATP title. Driven by early financial strains, he recently revealed that he had promised his parents he would quit tennis if he wasn’t in the top 200 by age 24. Today, with four Grand Slams and 21 ATP titles to his name, it is safe to say he has surpassed his own expectations.
Next is Carlos Alcaraz, a 22-year-old Spaniard and the current World Number One. Characterised by his innate talent and aggressive playstyle, Alcaraz has a natural feel for the game. At fifteen, he began his journey under the guidance of fellow Spaniard and former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero, turning pro a year later at sixteen. A true tennis prodigy, Alcaraz became the youngest male player in history to reach the No. 1 ranking at 19 years of age, following his first major win at the 2022 US Open. Since then, he has acquired five more majors along with 23 ATP titles, and with his young age, this is only the beginning.
This year, Sinner and Alcaraz have duelled numerous times and their rivalry has electrified the sport. Their first meeting of the season was in the final of the Italian Open, Sinner’s first tournament after facing a three-month ban due to doping. At his home tournament, Sinner played a close match, but ultimately Alcaraz emerged victorious with a scoreline of 7-6(7-5), 6-1. But this was just a teaser for what was coming next.
At the French Open, Sinner managed to set another final against Alcaraz, where the two made history by playing one of the most extraordinary matches of the decade. Alcaraz made a show-worthy comeback, saving three match points to beat Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) in the longest French Open final ever at 5 hours and 30 minutes, winning his second consecutive Roland Garros title. Alcaraz also ended Sinner’s unbeaten record at Grand Slam finals, while he protected his own winning streak. The story continued at Wimbledon, the two meeting yet again in the final. Yet this time, Sinner turned the tables and handed Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion, his first loss at a major final 4-6, 6 4, 6-4, 6-4. It was Sinner’s second Slam of the year, winning the Australian Open earlier in January after defeating Alexander Zverev.
The recent US Open was filled with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz and Lorenzo Musetti providing much more competition, yet for the third consecutive time Sinner and Alcaraz faced off in a Major final. Alcaraz ended the Italian’s streak of 27 slam wins on hard courts to take the title, and in the process splitting the four grand slams between them for two straight years. Alcaraz also dethroned Sinner as the World Number One, ending his 65-week reign at the top.
These matches are early signs of a brewing rivalry that has the potential to sustain itself for years to come. A year of 5 finals and counting, they have shown a remarkable hold over the ATP tour, nobody else being able to match them in Slams. While Sinner is the more calculated player, grinding down his opponents with immaculate defence and consistent baseline strokes, Alcaraz is extremely aggressive with a variable playstyle, incorporating drop shots and a great net presence into his arsenal. As Sinner himself alluded, Alcaraz brings the “firepower and hot shots,” while he provides the composure of a relentlessly solid player. What more could we ask for? Perhaps the dawn of the next Big rivalry in the sport.
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