Jannik Sinner says one part of his tennis isn’t quite as good as Carlos Alcaraz’s before the Madrid Open final.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner admits that his rival Carlos Alcaraz is better than him in one part of tennis. With Alcaraz currently out because of a wrist injury, many people think Sinner has a good chance to win the upcoming tournaments, including the French Open later this month.
Sinner, from Italy, has been playing great this year. He’s already won three big ATP Masters 1000 events – Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte-Carlo – and made history by winning the “Sunshine Double” without losing a set.
This Sunday, Sinner, who has won 22 matches in a row, will play in the Madrid Open final against world No. 3 Alexander Zverev. He reached the final after beating France’s Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals on Friday. Zverev got to the final by beating Belgium’s Alexander Blockx.
Lately, Sinner has been working on using drop shots better in his game. When asked about this before the Madrid final, he said he’s still learning but thinks Alcaraz is way ahead of him in this. “I’m definitely not at Carlos’s level, but I’m trying,” Sinner said. “It’s good to mix things up.”
When talking about playing in front of tough crowds, especially in Spain where Alcaraz is from, Sinner mentioned Novak Djokovic, who has also faced some unfriendly crowds.
“Everyone handles it differently,” said the 24-year-old. “Novak does it really well — probably the best. I don’t have a special way; I’m just happy to be playing. People come to see good tennis, not to be against you. Sometimes they just want to see a longer or more exciting match, so I get it.”
Sinner added, “I try to stay calm during tough moments. That’s just how I am — it’s not good or bad, just different for everyone. The crowd can actually help a lot. Playing in Italy means a lot to me because the crowd gives you extra energy.
“But honestly, even here when I played Rafael Yodar, the atmosphere was nice. The crowd has been very fair to me, and I really appreciate that.”