WORLD number one Carlos Alcaraz stated on Wednesday that he must prepare for a new and improved Jannik Sinner following his victory over his great rival in the US Open final.
Italy’s Sinner conceded he needed to overhaul his “predictable” game after losing to Alcaraz in New York earlier this month, marking the latest in a series of recent defeats to his Spanish opponent.
Alcaraz is competing at the Japan Open in Tokyo this week while Sinner will appear at the China Open in Beijing for his first tournament since the US Open.
The Spanish star confirmed he would need to be ready for a different Sinner the next time he faces the world number two on the court.
“I know he’s going to change something from the last match,“ said Alcaraz.
The champion explained that he followed the same process himself after previous losses, trying to become a better player for their next encounter.
“I have to be focused and I have to be ready for that change,“ he added.
Alcaraz and Sinner have dominated men’s tennis this season by contesting all four Grand Slam finals, with each player winning two titles.
Alcaraz is only 22 years old and Sinner is just two years older, positioning them to monopolise the sport’s top honours for the foreseeable future.
“Our rivalry is getting better, which for me and for tennis I would say is great,“ said Alcaraz.
He expressed curiosity about how many times they will play against each other in the future and under which circumstances.
“Right now, it’s going great.”
Alcaraz arrives in Tokyo following a surprise loss to American world number five Taylor Fritz at the Laver Cup in San Francisco last week.
Fritz is the number two seed in Tokyo, where Denmark’s Holger Rune, Norway’s Casper Ruud and the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac will also compete.
The Spaniard has won both the French Open and the US Open this year, describing it as “the best season that I’ve ever done”.
“I’ve seen myself that I’ve grown up a lot as a player on the court,“ he said.
Alcaraz acknowledged that the season could theoretically be better but confirmed he cannot complain about his results so far.
He is playing at the Japan Open for the first time in his career.
Alcaraz said he wanted to compete in Tokyo specifically to “see the culture and see everything here”.
“I’m really excited about playing in different places, in different stadiums, and feel the energy from the Japanese people,“ he said. – AFP
