Carlos Alcaraz has found an apt way to explain just how tough it is to get the better of “good person” Jannik Sinner at the moment as he admitted that he is delighted that the Italian’s hard work is paying off.
Sinner is riding an incredible wave of success as he has carried his momentum from the backend of the 2023 campaign into the 2024 season as he has won 32 out of his last 34 matches.
The 22-year-old is unbeaten in 12 matches this year as he started the season by winning his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open and followed it up with the Rotterdam Open title on Sunday.
Sinner’s title run in Rotterdam has also helped him to rise to a career-high No 3 in the ATP Rankings as he became the highest-ranked Italian man in history and he is now just 835 points adrift of Alcaraz in second place.
Alcaraz, who has lost his last two encounters against the Italian, believes players need to reach a “stratospheric level” if they are to stand a chance of beating Sinner.
“Jannik is living in a very good moment,” the Spaniard is quoted as saying by Puntodebreak.com. “His level of tennis shows how confident he is. He’s a super hard worker and no wonder he’s at this point right now.
“To beat him you have to play at a stratospheric level. I’m happy for him because he’s a very good person and him being at this point helps me to improve and get the best out of me.”
While Sinner enjoyed a title run last week, Alcaraz was stunned in straight sets in the semi-final of the Argentina Open by Nicolas Jarry.
The two-time Grand Slam winner hasn’t won a title since he lifted the Wimbledon trophy in July last year and he concedes he has work to do when it comes to improving his concentration during matches.
“I have to continue improving it and it has not improved compared to 2023,” he conceded. “It’s something I have to do and there’s no other way.
“For me it’s very important and my level of play is based on concentration and the level of attitude and energy I have. And in these games I’ve had a few ups and downs that I can’t afford.”
Alcaraz will return to action at the Rio Open on Tuesday as he will open his ATP 500 campaign against Tiago Montero in the first round.