Fierce rivals on the court, but off the court they share a strong camaraderie in between them! No, we’re not talking about Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal this time. It’s time to shift our focus to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Both these players have played against each other nine times. We have witnessed some intense moments during their matches. However, apart from that, there have been several moments where we have seen them share mutual respect and support for each other as well. One such moment was Alcaraz’s recent stance on Jannik Sinner’s doping saga. The camaraderie between Alcaraz and Sinner is now receiving admiration from former pros.

Jannik Sinner was initially cleared by the ITIA for any wrongdoing after he failed two dope tests earlier this year. However, recently, WADA lodged an appeal against that decision at the CAS stating that “no fault or negligence” decision of ITIA was not correct. They’re now seeking a ban of 1-2 years for the world number one. Sinner has reacted to this, saying he is “very disappointed and also surprised” by the decision. He later found the support of Carlos Alcaraz as well who said, “I know that it is a very difficult point. It is difficult for him. I know everyone is talking about it, the news is talking about it…I feel for him.”

The Spaniard further added, “The game and the level that he’s playing with everything he’s been through right now, it’s insane. He is able to put all things aside when he steps on the court, playing good tennis, [it] is unbelievable.” Alcaraz wished Sinner would put these things aside soon to put his entire focus on the sport. After this statement from Carlos Alcaraz, former WTA Pro Alexandra Stevenson shared her thoughts on the ‘Serving Aces’ podcast. She said, “Carlos Alcaraz is just so positive and everybody should take something away from that quote. Thinking like ‘Look at that, he’s being nice to his buddies on Tour but also his opponents. They’re of similar age..they’ve done events together. And you know, he’s not knocking him down and I think that’s really nice.“

Previously when Alcaraz said, “I believe in a clean sport. So I don’t know too much about that. You know, I am pretty sure that there are a lot of things that we don’t know, you know, inside the team or inside, you know, everything. But if they let Jannik keep playing, it’s for something, they said he’s innocent. So that’s all I know and that’s all I can talk about,” several fans saw it as a dig on Sinner and speculated that their friendship might now be over. However, this recent statement from Alcaraz proves their bond is still stronger than ever!

There have been multiple instances where both these players have showed their respect and support for each other. For example, during the 2023 Miami Open, we saw Alcaraz wishing Jannik Sinner luck ahead of the finals after losing to him in the SF. He said, “Go for it, I’ll cheer for you.” In March this year, when these two faced each other at the SF of the Indian Wells Masters, Carlos Alcaraz stated, “He’s (Jannik Sinner) the best tennis player in the world right now, without a doubt… He’s playing unbelievable, no losses this year. I really enjoy watching him play.“

In the same month, we heard Sinner say, “When we play against, it’s a very good matchup, we both try our best. We have a lot of respect for each other and, obviously, off the court, we don’t speak that much because he has his own things and I have my things.” Then yet again a month later, Sinner shared his thoughts on their strong bond. “We respect each other a lot, we get along because we are similar, simple people who deeply love what they do.”

Both of them love playing against each other. According to Sinner, playing against Alcaraz gives him a “new perspective.” Even Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill spoke about their special relationships on and off the court. Cahill revealed that their friendship is “real” and they both respect each other. Even he admitted that Sinner is always keen to watch Carlos Alcaraz play because he thinks the Spaniard was the “trailblazer” as he won a Grand Slam before him. What are your thoughts on the camaraderie between two of the fiercest rivals in today’s tennis world?