Alcaraz–Sinner rivalry
Tennis rivalry since 2021
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The tennis rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner emerged in the early 2020s. Colloquially referred to by the media and fans as "Sincaraz", a portmanteau of their names,[1] the pair have faced each other 17 times since 2021, with Alcaraz leading the rivalry 10–7, including 4–2 at the majors and 5–4 in finals. Alcaraz leads their five-set encounters 3–0.
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Alcaraz and Sinner are the two most successful men's tennis players born in the 21st century. Both have won multiple major titles—Alcaraz seven and Sinner four—and both have held the world No. 1 ranking.[2][3] Some commentators have dubbed them the "New Two" or the "Big Two", in reference to the Big Three.[4][5] Between them, they have split the last nine major titles, and have won 11 of the last 14, dating back to the 2022 US Open.
The rivalry has been described as "potentially era-defining".[6] They have played multiple matches regarded as classics, including their 2022 US Open quarterfinal and the 2025 French Open final.[7][8]
History
Before playing an ATP Tour-level match, Alcaraz and Sinner played a Challenger match at the JC Ferrero Open in 2019, won by Alcaraz as a 15-year-old in his first match at that level.[9] However, Challenger-level matches are generally not counted towards head-to-head tallies.
2021
I am so happy for this win as Jannik was fighting for a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. It's my third top 10 win of the year. I think Jannik and I will have a great rivalry in the future.[10]
Alcaraz and Sinner met for the first time at the ATP Tour level at the 2021 Paris Masters, where an 18-year-old Alcaraz, ranked world No. 35, upset a 20-year-old Sinner in straight sets. This match significantly bumped Sinner out of the qualifying positions for the ATP Finals, where he had been hoping to make his first appearance as a seed.[10]
2022
Alcaraz and Sinner met three times in 2022, with Sinner winning two matches and Alcaraz one.[11]
They met for the first time in the fourth round of Wimbledon, where Sinner defeated Alcaraz in four sets.[12]
The pair met again later that month in their first final in Umag, where Alcaraz was the defending champion. Alcaraz took the first set before being breadsticked twice by Sinner in the second and third sets.[13] This was Sinner's first title on clay courts.
Their third meeting in 2022 was in the quarterfinals of the US Open. Alcaraz took the first set before losing the second and third sets in two tiebreaks. He then saved a match point in the fourth set, before recovering to win in five. The match lasted five hours and 15 minutes, and recorded the latest finish in the history of the tournament at 2:50AM.[14] It is widely considered one of the best matches of their rivalry to date.[7][15] Alcaraz went on to win the tournament, claiming his first major title and becoming the youngest men's world No. 1 in the Open Era.[16]
2023
Alcaraz and Sinner met three times in 2023, with Sinner winning two matches and Alcaraz one.[17]
Their first encounter was a semifinal at Indian Wells, which Alcaraz claimed in straight sets en route to the title.[18][19] Two weeks later they met again at the same stage in Miami, where Sinner defeated defending champion Alcaraz in three sets, dashing his hopes of achieving the Sunshine Double.[20]
They met for a final time in 2023 in the semifinals of Beijing, where Sinner defeated Alcaraz in straight sets for the first time en route to the title, pulling ahead in the rivalry at 4–3.[21]
2024
Alcaraz and Sinner met three times in 2024. All three matches were won by Alcaraz.[22]
Their first encounter was a rematch at Indian Wells. Defending champion Alcaraz was breadsticked by Sinner in the first set, before recovering to win the match in three sets en route to retaining his title. He snapped Sinner's 19-match win streak and levelled their rivalry at 4–4.[23]
They next met in June for a semifinal encounter at the French Open. Both players had experienced injuries earlier in the clay season and struggled physically throughout a gruelling five-set encounter.[24][25] Despite the length of the match, it is not generally considered to be one of their higher quality encounters.[26] Alcaraz won the match, drawing ahead in the rivalry at 5–4, and went on to win the title.[27] Following the tournament, Sinner became world No. 1 for the first time.[28]
Their last meeting in 2024 was the final of China Open, where Sinner was the defending champion. The match went to a dramatic deciding-set tiebreak, in which Sinner initially took a 3–0 lead before Alcaraz won seven consecutive points to clinch the title.[29] At three hours and 21 minutes, it was the longest match in the history of the tournament. Alcaraz snapped Sinner's 15-match win streak and returned to No. 2 in the world rankings.[30]
2025
Alcaraz and Sinner met six times in 2025 (all finals), with Alcaraz winning four matches and Sinner two.
In May, they contested their first Masters final against each other at the Italian Open. Alcaraz clinched a nervy first set which ended in a tiebreak, and went on to dominate Sinner in the second set. This was Sinner's first loss in straight sets since 2023, and snapped his 26-match win streak, which had been ongoing since his last loss to Alcaraz.[31]
Less than a month later, they met for their first major final at the French Open, where Alcaraz was defending champion. Sinner established a two-set lead, but Alcaraz took the third set. In the fourth set, Sinner held three championship points on Alcaraz's serve at 5–3. Alcaraz held from 0–40 and then broke Sinner's serve to force a tiebreak and win the set. The match therefore progressed to a fifth set, which Alcaraz eventually claimed in a dominant super tiebreak.[32] This was Alcaraz's fifth consecutive win over Sinner, and Sinner's first loss in a major final. At five hours and 29 minutes, it was the longest-ever French Open final. It was also the first major final to be contested by two men born in the 21st century.[33] The Guardian acclaimed it as "one of the greatest finals ever played, in any sport."[34]
Five weeks later, they met for a rematch in the Wimbledon final. Sinner defeated two-time defending champion Alcaraz in four sets, dropping the first, to win his first Wimbledon title. Sinner's victory over Alcaraz ended several streaks: Sinner's five-match losing streak against Alcaraz, Alcaraz's winning streaks at Wimbledon, and Alcaraz's overall 24-match winning streak. It was also Alcaraz's first loss in a major final, and prevented him from becoming the first man to defend the Channel Slam since Björn Borg.[35]
Both players withdrew from the Canadian Open and returned to competition at the Cincinnati Open, where they met again in the final. This was a truncated affair, as Sinner retired due to illness with Alcaraz leading 5–0 in the first set. They then met for a third consecutive major final at the US Open, as the first pair of men to contest three major finals in the same calendar year. Alcaraz defeated defending champion Sinner in four sets, dropping the second. He ended Sinner's winning streak at the hardcourt majors, and reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in two years.[36] Alcaraz and Sinner therefore split the majors at two-apiece for the second consecutive year.[37]
At the 2025 ATP Finals, Sinner and Alcaraz both won all three of their round-robin matches to progress to the semifinals, where they both dispatched their opponents in straight sets.[38][39] In the final, Sinner defeated Alcaraz in straight sets to defend his title.[40] At the completion of the 2025 season, the two players were perfectly tied at 1,651 points won in matches between them.[41]
2026
At the 2026 Monte-Carlo Masters, Sinner and Alcaraz faced each other in the final. This match was a contest for the world No. 1 singles ranking.[42] In the final, Sinner defeated Alcaraz in straight sets to regain the world No. 1 singles ranking.
Head-to-head matches
|
|
Singles (17)
Alcaraz 10 – Sinner 7
| No. | Year | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Round | Winner | Score | Length | Sets | Alcaraz | Sinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021 | Paris Masters | ATP 1000 | Hard (i) | Round of 32 | Alcaraz | 7–6(7–1), 7–5 | 2:08 | 2/3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 2022 | Wimbledon Championships | Grand Slam | Grass | Round of 16 | Sinner | 6–1, 6–4, 6–7(8–10), 6–3 | 3:35 | 4/5 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | 2022 | Croatia Open | ATP 250 | Clay | Final | Sinner | 6–7(5–7), 6–1, 6–1 | 2:26 | 3/3 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 | 2022 | US Open | Grand Slam | Hard | Quarterfinals | Alcaraz | 6–3, 6–7(7–9), 6–7(0–7), 7–5, 6–3 | 5:15 | 5/5 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | 2023 | Indian Wells Open | ATP 1000 | Hard | Semifinals | Alcaraz | 7–6(7–4), 6–3 | 1:52 | 2/3 | 3 | 2 |
| 6 | 2023 | Miami Open | ATP 1000 | Hard | Semifinals | Sinner | 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 6–2 | 3:02 | 3/3 | 3 | 3 |
| 7 | 2023 | China Open | ATP 500 | Hard | Semifinals | Sinner | 7–6(7–4), 6–1 | 1:55 | 2/3 | 3 | 4 |
| 8 | 2024 | Indian Wells Open | ATP 1000 | Hard | Semifinals | Alcaraz | 1–6, 6–3, 6–2 | 2:05 | 3/3 | 4 | 4 |
| 9 | 2024 | French Open | Grand Slam | Clay | Semifinals | Alcaraz | 2–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–3 | 4:09 | 5/5 | 5 | 4 |
| 10 | 2024 | China Open | ATP 500 | Hard | Final | Alcaraz | 6–7(6–8), 6–4, 7–6(7–3) | 3:21 | 3/3 | 6 | 4 |
| 11 | 2025 | Italian Open | ATP 1000 | Clay | Final | Alcaraz | 7–6(7–5), 6–1 | 1:43 | 2/3 | 7 | 4 |
| 12 | 2025 | French Open | Grand Slam | Clay | Final | Alcaraz | 4–6, 6–7(4–7), 6–4, 7–6(7–3), 7–6(10–2) | 5:29 | 5/5 | 8 | 4 |
| 13 | 2025 | Wimbledon Championships | Grand Slam | Grass | Final | Sinner | 4–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 | 3:04 | 4/5 | 8 | 5 |
| 14 | 2025 | Cincinnati Open | ATP 1000 | Hard | Final | Alcaraz | 5–0 ret. | 0:23 | 1/3 | 9 | 5 |
| 15 | 2025 | US Open | Grand Slam | Hard | Final | Alcaraz | 6–2, 3–6, 6–1, 6–4 | 2:42 | 4/5 | 10 | 5 |
| 16 | 2025 | ATP Finals | Tour Finals | Hard (i) | Final | Sinner | 7–6(7–4), 7–5 | 2:15 | 2/3 | 10 | 6 |
| 17 | 2026 | Monte-Carlo Masters | ATP 1000 | Clay | Final | Sinner | 7–6(7–5), 6–3 | 2:15 | 2/3 | 10 | 7 |
Statistical comparison
Big titles
| Category | Alcaraz | Sinner |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam | 7 | 4 |
| ATP Finals | 0 | 2 |
| Masters 1000 | 8 | 10 |
| Total | 15 | 16 |
ATP year-end ranking timeline
Singles rankings achievements
| Rankings | Alcaraz | Sinner |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks as ATP No. 1 | 66 | 72 |
| ATP Year-end No. 1 | 2 | 1 |
| ITF World Champions | 0 | 2 |
Performance timeline comparison (Grand Slam tournaments)
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
- Bold = players met during this tournament
2019–2024
2025–present
| Player | 2025 | 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | FRA | WIM | USA | AUS | FRA | WIM | USA | |
 Carlos Alcaraz |
QF | W | F | W | W | A | A | |
 Jannik Sinner |
W | F | W | F | SF | |||
Combined singles performance timeline (best result)
Alcaraz–Sinner Big Titles performances (2022–present)
| Year | Australian Open | French Open | Wimbledon | US Open | Indian Wells Masters | Miami Open | Monte Carlo Masters | Madrid Open | Italian Open | Canadian Open | Cincinnati Masters | Shanghai Masters | Paris Masters | ATP Finals | Olympic Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Nadal |
Nadal |
 Djokovic |
Alcaraz |
 Fritz |
Alcaraz |
 Tsitsipas |
Alcaraz |
Djokovic |
Carreño Busta |
 Ćorić |
NH |  Rune |
Djokovic |
NH |
| 2023 | Djokovic |
Djokovic |
Alcaraz |
Djokovic |
Alcaraz |
Medvedev | Rublev | Alcaraz |
Medvedev | Sinner |
Djokovic |
 Hurkacz |
Djokovic |
Djokovic |
NH |
| 2024 | Sinner |
Alcaraz |
Alcaraz |
Sinner |
Alcaraz |
Sinner |
Tsitsipas |
Rublev |  Zverev |
 Popyrin |
Sinner |
Sinner |
Zverev |
Sinner |
Djokovic |
| 2025 | Sinner |
Alcaraz |
Sinner |
Alcaraz |
 Draper |
 Menšík |
Alcaraz |
 Ruud |
Alcaraz |
Shelton |
Alcaraz |
 Vacherot |
Sinner |
Sinner |
NH |
| 2026 | Alcaraz |
Sinner |
Sinner |
Sinner |
Sinner |
Sinner |
NH |
Significant achievements
- Longest French Open final ever played (2025 French Open) at 5 hours and 29 minutes.
- First major final contested between two men born in the 21st century (i.e. after the year 2000).[33]
- First pair of men's singles players in the Open Era to contest three major finals in the same year.[44]
- First pair of men's singles players in the Open Era to win a combined 50 Grand Slam matches in a year (2025).
Exhibitions
- Sinner 2 — Alcaraz 1
| No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Round | Winner | Score | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024 |  6 Kings Slam |
Hard (i) | Final | Sinner | 6–7(5–7), 6–3, 6–3 | 2:18 |
| 2 | 2025 | 6 Kings Slam |
Hard (i) | Final | Sinner | 6–2, 6–4 | 1:11 |
| 3 | 2026 |  Hyundai Card Super Match |
Hard (i) | — | Alcaraz | 7–5, 7–6(8–6) | 1:48 |