To mark the end of another thrilling season, ATPTour.com is unveiling our annual ‘Best Of’ series, which will reflect on the most intriguing rivalries, matches, comebacks, upsets and more. This week, we are looking at the best rivalries of the year.
The captivating rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner showed no signs of slowing down in 2024.
Despite Sinner soaring to ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours, it was Alcaraz who re-established a lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. The Spaniard improved to 6-4 with three triumphs over the Italian across the year.
As part of our annual season-in-review series, ATPTour.com revisits their three magical meetings this season.
[ATP AWARDS]
Indian Wells SFs, Alcaraz d. Sinner 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
After a blistering start to the season, during which he lifted his maiden Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open, Sinner was heading into the semi-finals in Indian Wells on a 16-match win streak. Was Alcaraz going to be the one to put an end to his rival’s impressive run in a rematch of the 2023 semi-finals in the desert?
The task ahead seemed even more daunting for the Spaniard after Sinner eased to a 6-1 lead. Despite a three-hour rain delay, Sinner’s pure ball-striking from the back of the court was on full display, overpowering Alcaraz in the baseline exchanges.
After the sit down, however, Alcaraz pushed the reset button and injected his trademark variety into the encounter. This allowed for more points fit for the highlight reel, something rarely missing from an Alcaraz-Sinner clash. From there, Alcaraz produced a commanding display to seal the comeback triumph.
“I stayed strong mentally,” said Alcaraz, who went on to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the final and successfully defend the trophy, snapping his eight-month title drought that dated back to 2023 Wimbledon.
The victory, which levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 4-4, meant that Alcaraz would hold off Sinner for the No. 2 spot in the PIF ATP Rankings. However, at the very next tournament in Miami, the Italian would dial back in to clinch his third title of the season and surpass Alcaraz.
Roland Garros SFs, Alcaraz d. Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Then came one of the standout matches of the season. After sweeping aside Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov, respectively, Alcaraz and Sinner set up one of the most anticipated clashes of the year, and it did not disappoint.
In a back-and-forth tussle, Alcaraz twice rallied from a set deficit to seal another thrilling comeback victory. An exhausting four-hour, 10-minute battle, during which Sinner received treatment for cramp, was decided by the finest of margins. The Italian won two more points than his opponent (147-145), but came unstuck by a ferocious start to the deciding set from Alcaraz, who raced to an unassailable 3-0 lead.
“You have to find the joy suffering,” said Alcaraz, 21, who became the youngest player to advance to a major final on all three surfaces.
Despite his gut-wrenching defeat, Sinner would leave Paris with a 33-3 record to start the season. Three days later, on 10 June, he would etch his name into history as the first Italian to rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
After improving to 10-1 in five-set Grand Slam contests, Alcaraz would further extend this dominance in the final, where he came through another deciding-set thriller against Alexander Zverev to win his third major trophy.
<img alt=”Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner” style=”width:100%;” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/11/22/10/21/sinner-alcaraz-french-open-best-of-2024-rivalries.jpg” />Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in action at Roland Garros. (Photo Credit: Bertrand Guay/Getty Images)
Beijing F, Alcaraz d. Sinner 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3)
For the second time in 2024, Sinner was heading into a clash with Alcaraz on a rousing 16-match winning streak, which included back-to-back titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open.
Things felt rather different this time, however. The 23-year-old had further cemented his status as the Tour’s leading presence with six titles and a commanding lead in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Alcaraz wasn’t going to complete three straight wins over Sinner, was he?
After rallying from a 1-4 deficit in the opening set to claim it in a tie-break, Sinner piled on the pressure in what proved to be a pivotal moment in the match. Trailing 3-4 in the second, Alcaraz mustered some of his most gutsy tennis to fend off two break points and come through the 14-minute game. It proved to be his tonic, rattling off the next two games to force a decider.
Alcaraz carried the momentum into the third set, surging to a 3-1 lead, but he was pegged back by Sinner who refused to roll over. With nothing between the two, they headed into a nail-biting deciding-set tie-break. Sinner had won 18 of his past 19 tie-breaks, and looked in good stead to improve on this record, but Alcaraz reeled off seven consecutive points from 0/3 to clinch his fourth title of the year.
“I never lost hope,” said Alcaraz.
The match reflected a crucial moment in their blossoming rivalry, marking the first time that either of them had recorded three consecutive wins over the other. Alcaraz took a 6-4 stranglehold on their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
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