By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday October 4, 2024
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz simply performed the most effective matches of 2024 within the Beijing last, and the pair of rivals may meet once more in Shanghai, the place they’re slated to satisfy within the semifinals if the seeds maintain.
Sinner says that’s simply fantastic with him, and admits that he’s all the time desirous about what he can do higher to defeat his rival, the person who has toppled him in every of the thrice they’ve met in 2024.
“It’s good that we’re rivals on the courtroom after which pals off the courtroom,” Sinner informed ATP Media. “I really feel like — at the least speaking from my facet — he pushes me to do higher. I get up within the morning attempting to know what I can do higher, attempting to beat him subsequent time, which is one thing good for me as a participant.”
“I really feel like off the courtroom we’re fairly comparable as a result of we’re encompass ourself with our shut ones, we like to stick with the workforce. There are various comparable issues.”
Sinner will face Taro Daniel in his first match at Shanghai on Saturday. Alcaraz will face rising Chinese language Shang Juncheng within the eighth Masters 1000 occasion of 2024.
On the courtroom Sinner acknowledges the distinction between the 2 stars, and provides that he can study from watching the best way that Alcaraz goes about his enterprise.
“On the courtroom, we’re totally different,” Sinner mentioned. “He’s the one who brings the firepower, the recent photographs, he includes the group. He’s a bit totally different. I’m extra just like the strong participant, fairly calm, so it’s like hearth and ice a bit, nevertheless it’s a pleasant mixture.
“It additionally reveals that everybody is totally different. I consider that I’ve to take one thing from him as a participant, attempting some totally different photographs generally, which I really feel like makes me develop as a participant, however this takes time – we’re simply attempting to do ourselves, to be ourselves on the courtroom.”