Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s current rivalry goes back a long way.
Sinner and Alcaraz are the top two ranked ATP players, and have shared the last six Grand Slam titles between them.
The most recent of those was at Roland Garros, where Alcaraz beat Sinner by saving three championship points.
While this is the meeting that sticks in most people’s mind, the first professional match between Alcaraz and Sinner dates back to 2019.
Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty ImagesJannik Sinner says what Carlos Alcaraz was like on the ATP Challenger Tour
Both Sinner and Alcaraz were on the ATP Challenger Tour before making their big breakthrough, winning three and four titles on the lower level tour, respectively.
When looking back on that time earlier on in their careers, Sinner revealed that he always thought Alcaraz had something special about him.
“You have certain players where you feel like they have something special,” Sinner told Wimbledon. “Carlos had this already when he was young. Even when we played in the Challengers you see straight away the sound of the ball, the way he moves and everything.
“I was like you arrive for sure, I don’t know about myself or whether I am going to be there! Now we shared the last six Grand Slam together which is very nice to see and it’s good also for the new generation. The new generation is coming. Everyone has different game styles and you have to adapt yours to that.
“Tennis is unpredictable and everything can change so quickly, maybe one has an injury. You never wish for that, but maybe it is and you never know what is coming.
“So I am very curious to see what is coming in the future because we cannot predict it, and there are so many great, great players.
“Until now he has won much more, which he deserves to be where he is, but in the other way I just go down my path and my way because that is how I arrived here.”
What happened when Carlos Alcaraz played Jannik Sinner for the first time?
Sinner and Alcaraz have played each other 12 times on the ATP Tour, with the latter leading the head-to-head after winning eight of those matches.
These meetings have been hugely entertaining for spectators across the globe, with their Roland Garros final being called one of the greatest in history.
However, the only time they ever played on the ATP Challenger Tour was on a much smaller stage at the clay court event in Alicante.
A 15-year-old Alcaraz won that match, 6-2 3-6 6-3, in the start of what has become one of the most eye-catching rivalries in the sport.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz are contenders for Wimbledon, but will not face each other unless both players reach the final.
Next up for Alcaraz is British wildcard Oliver Tarvet, while Sinner will play Australian Aleksandar Vukic in the second round.