Rivalry with Sinner 'great' for tennis - Alcaraz

Reigning French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz said Friday his budding rivalry with Jannik Sinner was good for the sport, as the Spaniard prepares to begin his Roland Garros campaign which could culminate with a blockbuster final against the Italian top seed.

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Alcaraz and Sinner have shared the last five Grand Slam titles between them, with the Spaniard claiming the French Open and Wimbledon last year, while Sinner opened his major account with victory in the Australian Open in 2024 before winning the US Open and defending his Melbourne title in January.

"I think for the people, for the tennis fans, I think it's great to have a match-up from some players that make them excited about watching that match," Alcaraz told his pre-tournament press conference.

"Right now I think the people are excited every time that I'm facing Jannik. Our matches I think are a really high quality of tennis.

"I think for the people and probably the people who don't like watching tennis, I think (our rivalry) is something that because of that (they have) started to watch tennis."

The 22-year-old nonetheless tempered expectations by insisting the rivalry was not yet on a par with some of the great match-ups in tennis history such as Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal or Bjorn Borg v John McEnroe.

'LEGENDS'

"I'm not gonna put myself or the great rivalry that I have with Jannik at (the) same level as those legends," Alcaraz said.

"Let's see in the future how it's gonna be. Right now for sure I'm not going to put ourselves into that table of that rivalries, but I think people are excited about watching our matches."

Fans were given a mouthwatering appetiser ahead of Roland Garros when Alcaraz and Sinner met in the final of the Italian Open last Sunday.

Despite not having played since the Australian Open in January due to a three-month doping suspension, world No 1 Sinner bulldozed his way to the final.

But Alcaraz stopped the 23-year-old from claiming victory in his home Masters with a dominant 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 performance that also put paid to a 26-match winning streak for the Italian.

Alcaraz's run to the semis in Rome moved him to No 2 in the world, ensuring he would come into Paris as the second seed behind Sinner.

However, beyond the top two, Alcaraz praised the overall strength in depth at the upper echelons of the men's game.

"I think in general, the top 20, 25, 30, they have really high level of tennis," he said.

"We could see it right now, for example, (Jakub) Mensik is 20, 21 (ranking), and he won Miami. That means how strong is the top 30 right now.

"Probably, like, 10 years ago, the top 10 was much stronger than now, could be, but in general, the top 30 I think right now is really, really strong."

Alcaraz faces a potentially tricky first-round tie after being drawn against former world No 4 Kei Nishikori.

The 35-year-old Japanese player is now ranked 62, but Alcaraz said he's taking nothing for granted against a "legend" of the sport.

"Honestly, I'm really excited about facing Nishikori for the first time.

"I'm watching him play a lot when I was young. I was really happy when he came back again on tour. I know that he has been struggling physically the last year, a lot of injuries that kept him away from playing.

"I know when he plays good tennis, (he's) really tough to beat. So I have to be ready for that, for the first round... I'm excited to play against a legend like Nishikori."

SINNER EXPECTS 'DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE' AFTER DOPING BAN

World No 1 Jannik Sinner said Friday he was expecting a different atmosphere at the French Open, his first Grand Slam after a three-month doping ban.

Sinner returned to competition in front of his home fans at the Italian Open earlier this month where he lost in the final to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.

In the first round, the Italian will have the Roland Garros crowd largely against him when he plays 72nd-ranked Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

"It's definitely going to be different," the 23-year-old told journalists on Friday.

"I know that. But I don't think they have something against me, no? It's right that they support the players who are from here, who are local here.

"It's the same when I play against American players in the US Open. So it's normal. You know, I got an amazing atmosphere in Rome because I'm Italian.

"It's right that the player who play in this city or country, that they got more support.

"So I know that. Last year I played also against some French players here. So I know a little bit what to expect."

Sinner hailed the passionate backing he received from supporters in Rome during his comeback event.

But when asked if he was anticipating a more hostile reception in Paris after his doping suspension, Sinner was unsure.

"Different moment because whatever happened happened. So let's see. I cannot answer that question," he said.

'NO MIRACLES'

Before Rome, Sinner had not played since retaining his Australian Open crown at the end of January. He served a doping ban for testing positive twice in March last year for traces of clostebol, a contamination doping authorities accept was accidental.

"There is a lot of room to improve," Sinner said of his performance in Rome.

He has played at five previous French Opens, with his best run to the semifinals last year where he lost in five sets to eventual champion Alcaraz.

"For sure it was great after three months coming back making final. It was my first big final on clay, which is not to underrate, because we worked a lot for that, but also it was a great feeling to be part of this final.

"Hopefully we are on time to make small changes for here," he continued. "There are no miracles. I need some time. Matches are different than practice sessions.

"I felt in Rome that we have had some stats from that tournament where some were good; some were not where I want to be. And that's exactly I felt on court.

"But yeah, we are working hard, trying to reach the physical level I would like to, and how I would like to feel on court.

"But, you know, best-of-five is going to be a great test for me, trying to understand where I am. Yeah, let's see how my body will respond here.

"We have seen a couple of things where I can improve, and Grand Slams are just different.

"You know, you have to be mentally ready, physically too trying to use the right energy. It's all about being consistent and solid."