Carlos Alcaraz Explains Why Friendship With Wimbledon Champion Sinner Remains Elusive
Spanish tennis ace Carlos Alcaraz has drawn a line regarding his relationship with Italy’s newly crowned Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner, citing their fierce rivalry as a barrier to close friendship. Despite their mutual admiration and shared history on the court, Alcaraz believes the competitive nature of elite tennis inevitably keeps them at arm’s length.
The dynamic between Alcaraz, aged 22, and the world number one Sinner has become one of the sport’s most closely watched matchups. Sunday’s Wimbledon final saw Sinner overpower Alcaraz in four sets, reversing the result of their memorable French Open clash last month, where Alcaraz staged a breath-taking comeback to seize victory after more than five hours of play.
The Wimbledon final not only shifted the on-court momentum in Sinner’s favour but also renewed discussion about the personal rapport between these two young stars. In previous interviews, including a revealing conversation with Sky Sports Tennis, Alcaraz outlined why their relationship is inherently professional. “When we are at tournaments, with our teams or preparing for matches, we don’t interact much. We’ll talk a little away from the court, about normal life sometimes, but rarely in depth,” he said.
Alcaraz is candid in stating that while there is deep-seated respect, there is no close friendship. He remarked, “The respect is there, and we maintain a good relationship, but we are not close friends. We are rivals who want to beat each other.”
Recent events have only underscored this dynamic. Sinner returned to the tour in May after a three-month suspension following a positive test for clostebol, an anabolic steroid. The Italian maintained the banned substance entered his system through accidental contamination from a team member, an explanation accepted by authorities following an investigation. During Sinner’s absence, Alcaraz kept his own counsel, admitting to the Spanish newspaper Marca, “I haven’t spoken to him during his disqualification. Everyone looks out for themselves.”
Sinner himself spoke about the surprising range of support he received from colleagues during his ban. Some players he least expected reached out, while others—perhaps those with whom he thought he shared a bond—remained silent. Alcaraz did not count himself among those who offered messages of comfort, explaining simply that they are “not very close.” He expanded on this in a recent press conference, acknowledging, “In the end, we’re rivals, and I can’t see myself having a close friendship with someone I want to defeat on the court.”
Nevertheless, Alcaraz insists this professional distance doesn’t diminish his esteem for Sinner, particularly in light of the Italian’s resilience and recent success. “I deeply respect what Jannik has achieved. To come back so strongly after a three-month break says a lot about his character. I was pleased to see him back playing, even if it’s always disappointing for a player to be away from the game. But that’s just the reality of our sport.”
The nature of player relationships at the pinnacle of tennis is a recurring theme. Alcaraz’s pragmatic philosophy echoes the sentiments of Novak Djokovic in relation to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer—two of his own greatest rivals. Djokovic famously admitted that real friendship between such fierce competitors is virtually impossible. “Nadal and I are only a year apart and even went for dinner now and again. But friendship just doesn’t really happen between rivals,” Djokovic told Corriere Della Sera. With Federer, Djokovic described a similarly respectful distance: “We have never been friends, between rivals, it just isn’t possible. But I have always respected him greatly.”
As Sinner and Alcaraz seemingly move towards becoming the next defining rivalry in men’s tennis, the pattern is clear: fierce competition leaves little room for lasting personal closeness. Whether this respectful distance will fuel or hinder their individual ambitions remains to be seen, but, for now, admiration outweighs amity in one of tennis’s most exciting match-ups.