"Jannik Sinner's appearance was like when Nadal & Federer appeared, until Djokovic came in": Juan Carlos Ferrero on Carlos Alcaraz & Italian's rivalry
Juan Carlos Ferrero has likened Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's blossoming rivalry to that of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal during the early 2000s.
Sinner made his professional debut in 2018, and his progress since then has been remarkable. In 2019, Sinner won the ATP NextGen Finals and entered the top 100 rankings. The Italian won his first ATP Tour title in 2020 by clinching the Sofia Open. 2021 saw him enter the ATP top 10 rankings after winning four titles and reaching his first Masters final at the Miami Open.
2022 saw Sinner dropping out of the ATP top 10. However, he managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Wimbledon Championships, and the US Open. He also won the Croatia Open. In 2023, the Italian won the Open Sud de France. His semifinal and final appearances at Indian Wells and Miami Open, respectively, helped him reenter the top 10.
Sinner reached the semifinals at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships as well. During the second half of the year, the Italian came into his own as he clinched the Canadian Open, China Open, and Vienna Open titles. He also reached the finals of the year-end Nitto ATP Finals and led Italy to the Davis Cup title as well. The 22-year-old started 2024 in the same rich vein of form that saw him win his first-ever Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.
Sinner has also reached the final of the Rotterdam Open, where he will face Alex de Minaur. World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz's coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, was recently asked about Sinner's rise to the top of men's tennis, which has ushered in a new rivalry.
"I think his (Jannik Sinner's) appearance was a bit like when Rafa and Roger appeared, who between them were pushing the car, until then Novak came in, who is now a bit the one pushing Carlos and Sinner." Ferrero said in an interview with La Nacion.
Ferrero also revealed the conversation he had with Alcaraz after his defeat at the hands of Novak Djokovic in the 2023 Cincinnati Masters final.
"I told Carlos last year, when Novak won the Masters with that level: 'Have you seen that? Now what we have to do is train like animals to reach Novak's level. Jannik is going to do it and we have to do it.'"
Carlos Alcaraz failed to defend his Argentina Open title
Most recently, Carlos Alcaraz featured in the Argentina Open. He went into the ATP 250 tournament as the defending champion and the top seed. The Spaniard reached the semifinals in convincing fashion as he swept aside the likes of Camilo Ugo Carabelli and Andrea Vavassori.
However, Alcaraz's run was stopped in its tracks in the semis by Chile's Nicolas Jarry. Third seed Jarry won the first set 7-6(2) and took the second 6-3 to oust the defending champion and reach the final.
The 20-year-old's next outing is slated to be at the Rio Open, where he is the top seed and will face Brazil's Thiago Monteiro in the Round of 32.