Wimbledon finalist's Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner comparison speaks volumes about rivals
Jasmine Paolini has been a regular fixture in the world's top 10 and the Italian star has watched Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's rivalry closely throughout the year
The thrilling rivalry between tennis titans Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is impossible to ignore for anyone who follows the men's game, and now a star of the women's circuit has weighed in. Jasmine Paolini, who made it to the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon in 2024 and is a regular in the world's top 10, has been keeping a keen eye on the two men who have dominated the biggest tournaments in 2025.
This year saw Sinner and Alcaraz each clinch two grand slam victories. Indeed, it was only Alcaraz's defeat in the Australian Open quarter-finals which denied us four finals between the rivals.
Last year told a similar tale, with Sinner taking home the Australian and US Opens, sandwiching Alcaraz's victories at Roland Garros and SW19, though there were other names in the finals. The brilliance exhibited by the pair in their three 2025 final meetings suggests that it would take something extraordinary to stop them in 2026.
But what about their off-court personas? Paolini has had plenty of opportunities to observe the stars and get a sense of their characters, both on and off the court, and she's shared her insights.
"They have very different personalities; they are two distinct players who thrill and entertain us on the court. Their level is very high," Paolini revealed to EFE. "The fact that they are so different makes this rivalry even more fascinating. They are polite, respectful, intelligent, and play at a very high level.
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Alcaraz is still basking in the glory of his recent tournament victory in Tokyo, having dropped just one set on his way to triumph, defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the final. The Spaniard pulled out of the Shanghai Masters, where Sinner is the reigning champion. Sinner was given a bye to the second round, where he defeated Daniel Altmaier to set up a clash with Tallon Griekspoor.
Upon learning that Alcaraz wouldn't be competing in Shanghai, Sinner acknowledged that different players will opt to sit out various tournaments based on their individual needs. "For me, I skipped a couple of tournaments [last year] because I think it was the right choice for my body and mind," he said.
"Also this year I didn't play Toronto, for example, or Montreal. Yeah, you have sometimes to jump some tournaments. You can always choose.
"That's why I say, yes, they're mandatory, but at the end of the day you can still choose. I chose always or I will keep still choosing for my best."
After Alcaraz's recent win over Sinner at the US Open, the Spanish star's coach Juan Carlos Ferrero opened up on how he prepared for a revenge mission against the Italian. "The most incredible thing about Carlos is that he is so good at quickly correcting the small details he needs to improve," Ferrero said.
"He is chameleon-like, and you can ask him to do anything during a match, he adapts and ultimately succeeds, and we also transfer that a lot to training.
"I asked Carlos Alcaraz for certain new things in preparation for the upcoming matches against Jannik in particular. In just 10 days, he improved considerably."