“It’s like fire and ice” - Jannik Sinner opens up about on-court difference between him and Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner delved into what makes him different from his rival Carlos Alcaraz. He said they were like "fire and ice" on the court. The Italian added, however, that the two players were very much alike off the court.

Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 21 have produced high-quality tennis over the past few years despite their young ages and their rivalry has already taken the tennis world by storm. Both men have had incredibly successful seasons this year having won two Grand Slams each. While the Spaniard took home the "Channel Slam," the Italian reigned supreme in the hardcourt Slams.

They recently faced each other in the final of the 2024 China Open, with the Spaniard staging an impressive comeback 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) win. Their three-hour and 20-minute battle dazzled fans and also earned praise from some legends of the sport.

Talking to the media ahead of the 2024 Shanghai Masters, Jannik Sinner talked about the similarities and differences between him and Carlos Alcaraz. He said,

“I feel like off the court we are quite similar because we are surround ourself with our close ones, we like to stay with the team. There are many, many similar things. On the court, we are different.”

Speaking about the differences on-court, the Italian said Alcaraz brought firepower, while he was "calm."

“He is the one who brings the firepower, the hot shots, he involves the crowd. He’s a bit different. I am more like the solid player, quite calm, so it’s like fire and ice a bit. But it’s a nice combination.

The World No. 1 also shared how his encounters against the World No. 2 require him to explore the limits of his game.

“It also shows that everyone is different. I believe that I have to take something from him as a player, trying some different shots sometimes, which I feel like makes me grow as a player.”

Sinner and Alcaraz have faced each other 10 times so far, with the Spaniard leading 6-4. They met three times in 2024, with Alcaraz prevailing in all of these matches in the deciding set.

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Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz kick off Shanghai Masters campaigns in style

Jannik Sinner (Source: Getty)

Days after their epic final at the China Open, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz hopped onto the same plane to Shanghai for the Masters 1000 event. While the Italian will be the top seed, the Spaniard will be seeded third, both of them placed in the top half of the draw. As a result of their seedings, they both received byes in the opening round.

Alcaraz kicked off his campaign by decimating home favorite Shang Juncheng 6-2, 6-2. Up next for the Spaniard will be another home favorite, Wu Yibing.

On the other hand, Sinner began his campaign with a 6-1, 6-4 win against Taro Daniel. He will face 31st seed Tomas Etcheverry next.