Carlos Alcaraz lost the chance to complete the Sunshine Double but he showed great sportsmanship after his loss to Jannik Sinner.
In the deciding set of the match, Alcaraz fought through cramps but ultimately conceded to Sinner's high level of play, losing the match 7-6(4), 4-6, 2-6. After the match, the Spaniard wished his opponent good luck for a final meeting against Daniil Medvedev but also showed him great respect.
Despite evident discomfort in his leg at the start of the deciding set, Alcaraz made it clear in his post-match press conference that this did not impact the outcome of the match.
"Yeah, well, yeah, I started cramping at the beginning of the third set, but it wasn't the reason why I lost the match."
But cramps wouldn't need to happen as Alcaraz was close to breaking in the second set and winning the match in straight sets. But his opponent fought hard until the very last moment.
“I had my opportunities to break in the second set and serve for the match, but really against Sinner it’s always a tough battle. It's tough to put into words but I think it was a great match for both. It was a really tough, physical match.”
Moreover, Alcaraz went on to praise his opponent's performance, especially in the third set, stating that the Italian was simply better than him in their semifinal meeting at the 2023 Miami Open. By beating the Spaniard, Sinner tied their H2H on the ATP Tour to 3-3.
"You know, I went back after cramping at the beginning, I started to feel better. But of course Jannik, he was better than me in the third set. That's the truth, you know. But yeah, it was in the first game of the third set."
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