Alcaraz Explains Why He 'Needs' Rival Sinner Back On Tour After Ban
NewsSaturday, 10 May 2025 at 12:45
Jannik Sinner will return to tennis at the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, and his biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz, is excited about the Italian's comeback.
Sinner has played only one tournament in 2025 so far. The 23-year-old played in Melbourne, winning the Australian Open title. Since then, the rest of the Tour competed for the titles without the World No. 1 player.
Some could assume that it could have benefitted the likes of Alcaraz, but that doesn't necessarily need to be true. Although the Spaniard won titles in Rotterdam and Monte-Carlo, he also struggled at times.
Those struggles could be attributed to a kind of lack of motivation because of Sinner's absence. The Big Three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer often spoke about how they pushed each other to become better, and that's something that Alcaraz and Sinner have been doing as well.
But without Sinner competing, Alcaraz didn't have his main rival around, which is why he seemed to be very happy to welcome the Italian back. Speaking on the Tennis Channel desk after his win over Dusan Lajovic in Rome, the four-time Grand Slam champion admitted that Sinner motivated him to become better.
"It is great, honestly. I have seen him around, for me, it’s great to have him back. Honestly, I need him on the tour because, I mean, he pushes me to be a better player and give 100% everyday, to be better."
The two have met ten times so far on the ATP Tour, with Alcaraz winning six of those matches. However, he doesn't want Sinner back on the tennis courts only as his rival, but also as a tennis fan.
The 22-year-old Spaniard is one of those players who love watching tennis in their free time, and he thinks that having Sinner back on the courts will help the sport.
"Of course, I am a fan of tennis, and I think that tennis needs him, to bring in new fans. His tennis is huge, it’s insane, I love watching him play. So, having the chance to see him and watch his tennis again is great, so I’m just really, really happy, but it’s a different feeling. That’s great for me, for tennis, and for the fans in Rome."
Alcaraz already completed his first match in Rome, beating Lajovic 6-3, 6-3, and in his second match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in the Italian capital, he will take on another Serbian, Laslo Djere.
Sinner, on the other hand, will start his tournament against Mariano Navone. Should the top seed succeed, he will take on the winner of the match between Jesper de Jong and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
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