'We push ourselves beyond our limits' - Alcaraz reflects on rivalry with Sinner as he eye's up top spot in rankings

Carlos Alcaraz will be hoping to put the disappointment of Wimbledon behind him quickly in the second part of a busy tennis season, but will have to get the better of rival Jannik Sinner to achieve his ambitions.

The pair have cropped up to become the dominant force in tennis over the past year, between them winning the last seven Grand Slams, and eight of the last nine. The previous two have been tightly contested against each other, with the Spaniard coming out on top at Roland Garros and the Italian dominating on grass to deliver Alcaraz's first Grand Slam final defeat.

They have a healthy lead in the ATP race to Turin, with Alcaraz in the number one spot due to Sinner having missed three months through suspension. However, Sinner still has an enormous lead at the top of the ATP rankings, something which the 22-year-old would want to close down quickly to become the number one ranked player again.

Alcaraz reveals relationship with rival

Millions of tennis fans globally have been treated to some special games between the pair, with the two most recent Grand Slam finals living fresh in the memory. The Wimbledon final brought in the most viewers in a decade - since Andy Murray triumphed in 2016.

They were treated to some outrageous tennis, mind-blown by the quality the two could produce over multiple hours. Alcaraz said in an interview with La Gazetta dello Sport that each game they face off is great for the sport and it's growth.

“Our matches, like the recent ones at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, are always highly anticipated,” Alcaraz said. “The more we face each other, the more we help grow the sport, because every time we play, we push ourselves beyond our limits.”

He went on to explain about his personal relationship with the world number one, with him stating they are 'good friends' off the court. “Sinner and I are good friends. We can talk about many things off the court. I have great respect for him–he’s a great person–and I’m sure we’ll always be able to maintain this relationship.”

Reminiscing on his Roland Garros victory

The 2025 Roland Garros final was highly anticipated, with the two having previously faced off in the ATP 1000 Masters event in Rome - Alcaraz came out victorious in straight sets on Sinner's return.

In Paris, the three-time Grand Slam champion was looking good for a fourth and his first on clay, as he breezed to the final without dropping a set. He was looking good to win it 3-1, but Alcaraz somehow dragged himself back into the game, saving three match points before going on to take the fourth set.

He won a tie-breaker in the fifth set 10-2 to claim back-to-back Roland Garros triumphs in a match which took over five hours to complete. Even looking back on it, the two-time winner still does not know how he won that match.

“I still don’t know how I managed to turn that match around," Alcaraz said. "The truth is that in sport–and not only in sport–you have to keep believing, right until the end. That was the key: believing that you can win, even in the most difficult moments.”

Alcaraz targets number one ranking 

Back in 2022, Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows in a 3-1 victory over Casper Ruud - beating Sinner in five sets along the way. This title for the 19-year-old shot him to number one in the world, and he stayed perched at the top until Sinner pushed him off that top step just over a year ago, and extended that gap when he beat number one American Taylor Fritz in the US Open final.

He will be looking to defend that title from Alcaraz, who has the number one ranking on his radar again, claiming it to be his 'primary goal', with a huge opportunity for him to now close the gap.

“Right now, my primary goal is to reclaim the top spot in the rankings,” he said. “Last year, after the Olympics, I struggled to find my form and didn’t achieve great results. From now on, I won’t have many points to defend, so I see a big opportunity.”

“I know Sinner doesn’t care about defending points; he’s a great fighter who always plays to win and doesn’t let that affect him. But I’m ready for the challenge.”