Carlos Alcaraz is all the buzz in the tennis world at the moment. While he was already the talk of the town, his win against Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon launched his popularity even further. Set to be the next big player in the ATP, Alcaraz understands the importance of having a big rival. For the Spaniard, his biggest rival could end up being Jannik Sinner.?

Tennis is a sport that has seen several major rivalries throughout the years. The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is one that has cemented its presence in tennis history. Beginning two decades ago, their matches became the most anticipated ones throughout the last 20 years.?

Carlos Alcaraz names his rival

Two decades ago, when Federer displayed his dominance, no player seemed to be up to the challenge. However, Rafael Nadal stepped up and showed Federer he did not belong at the top alone. Now, Carlitos is showing similar signs of dominance as he has won his second grand slam. As he resides on the top, he believes that he has found his Rafa.?

In an interview with TYC Sports, Alcaraz said that it is very important to have a great rival in one’s career. For him, his major rival is proving to be Jannik Sinner.?

“Extremely important. To have someone with whom you can battle and build a beautiful rivalry is important to maintain motivation for a long time. I have one right now and I am not afraid to say it that it’s Jannik Sinner. We have a beautiful rivalry, those big games that we have played, on big stages. There will be better ones as time goes on, and we’ll compete for the big titles.”

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If he continues to give similar smashing performances, Alcaraz will have the same impact as the big three. While their rivalry has shaped the modern era of tennis, Djokovic was not happy about it at first.?

The Fedal rivalry

Their rivalry first began in 2004, in the Miami Open. Nadal would go on to win and set the scene for their matches to come. Over time, they have played 40 matches. Nadal leads with 24 wins, with 14 wins in finals. They would play finals on each surface and in every major tournament. To celebrate their rivalry, Eurosport posted a video of Rafa comforting the Swiss Maestro in the 2009 Australian Open final.?

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Regardless of the end, the pair had a deep impact on the sport and will be remembered for years and decades to come.?