Carlos Alcaraz could be in trouble when it comes to his rivalry with Jannik Sinner, at least from the observations of a noted tennis coach, Toni Nadal.
Sinner has improved as a tennis player every year that he's been on the ATP Tour. He's been known for it thanks to his insistence to work hard and hone his craft in a very dedicated manner.
His career is the best proof of that, as it has developed very gradually. It took the Italian player a couple of years to get where he is now. That's quite different from Alcaraz, who emerged rapidly and took over even quicker.
Both are fantastic tennis players, and it's a rivalry that's writing more chapters with every year and will continue to do so in the coming years. Nadal hailed that budding rivalry between them in his most recent column for El Pais.
"With the victory of Sinner on the men’s side, we can also credit more than ever what was already an obvious rivalry with our great champion, Carlos Alcaraz."
"With Sunday’s victory, Sinner won his second major of the year, equaling the annual record of the Spanish player and practically assuring himself of finishing the year as No 1 in world tennis."
With the way things have trended in recent months, it's clear that this rivalry has the potential to dominate the sport in the next decade. Tennis as a sport has been defined by rivalries, and this one could join the list of a couple of legendary rivalries.
While the tennis fan in Toni Nadal is excited about that, the Spaniard in him is cautious. Sinner is a player who won't give up, who will keep working hard and improve. It's just what's hardwired in him, and from the point of view of a Spaniard, that worries him a little bit.
Nadal expects Sinner to continue being great, something he expects from Alcaraz as well, but it will make things very difficult for the 21-year-old Spaniard. In his column, Nadal admitted that he enjoys Alcaraz's game more, an honest biased take, but the rivalry could be problematic for him in the future.
"If I may go back to Alcaraz, since he is the one we care about, I must say that I still enjoy his game more – I like him even more, but also admit and fear that the notorious improvement of the current leader, especially at a mental level, will make things really difficult for him. The rivalry, definitely, is served."
While Sinner bested Alcaraz on the tennis courts in the past, more recently the Spaniard has had more success against him. They played in Indian Wells, and Alcaraz became the first player to beat him this year.
They also played at Roland Garros, and Alcaraz also beat him. While the rivalry will certainly make things much harder for him, it should push him to explore new heights in his own game, which would benefit the sport overall.
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