"We are not close friends" - Carlos Alcaraz opens up about his relationship with Jannik Sinner after defeating Italian in China Open 2024

Carlos Alcaraz opened up about his relationship with his arch-rival Jannik Sinner after their meeting in the 2024 China Open final. The Spaniard mentioned that while they share a good relationship, they wouldn't consider themselves "close friends."

Alcaraz and Sinner have developed a captivating rivalry over the years, facing each other 10 times on the Tour so far, with the former holding a 6-4 head-to-head advantage.

They have met three times this year, including their latest showdown in the China Open final on Wednesday (October 2), where Alcaraz secured a hard-fought 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(3) victory. The two also traveled together from Beijing to Shanghai, where they are set to compete in the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

In a press conference in Shanghai, Carlos Alcaraz was asked about his relationship with Jannik Sinner. The four-time Grand Slam champion responded by saying that while they "respect" each other a lot, they don’t talk much when they’re around one another.

"We don't talk too much when we are around," Alcaraz said. "We have a really good relationship off the court as well. I think we both respect each other a lot, as a player, as a person, but once we are on tour traveling, you know, during tournaments when we are on-site, we are with our team on our own, so we don't speak too much."

The 21-year-old added:

"We have a good relationship, but we are not close friends, you know, but I think the respect that we have, you know, put us in a position that we have a really good relationship."

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Carlos Alcaraz backs Jannik Sinner after WADA appeals to ban Italian from tennis following doping saga

Carlos Alcaraz pictured at the 2024 China Open | Image Source: Getty

Carlos Alcaraz offered his support to Jannik Sinner after WADA appealed for a 1-2 year ban in light of his doping controversy.

The Italian tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol twice during the Indian Wells Masters in March this year but avoided a ban after the ITIA accepted his explanation.

During a press conference at the China Open, Alcaraz said:

"It seems like something happen. But, you know, after one months, let's say, I thought it was closed, anything is going to happen again, Jannik is innocent, and they saw that Jannik didn't do anything wrong. So I started to thinking about it and start thinking about myself."

Jannik Sinner is set to kick off his Shanghai Masters campaign in the second round against Taro Daniel, while Carlos Alcaraz will face Juncheng Shang in his opening match.