‘Sincaraz‘ – a rivalry like no other! When Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner step on the court, the tennis fans know they’re in for something special. They first met each other in the R64 of the 2019 Villena Open (Challenger Event), and Alcaraz won that match in three sets. But ever since then, these two have transformed their careers into a generational duel, pushing each other to new heights with every clash. From the epic five-setter at the French Open final to a hard-fought battle at Wimbledon and US Open finals, this year their rivalry once again gave the fans a glimpse of the sport’s future.

Talking about their incredible rivalry, especially while sharing his thoughts about their performances at the French Open final, the American legend, Andy Roddick, said, “It is just absurd the level that these two have taken this game to, like the Big Three before them, they are pushing the game to heights that I don’t know we have ever seen before.” As they reach the finals of the 2025 US Open, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner recreated an astonishing record by becoming the first duo in the Open Era to play in the men’s singles final at three Grand Slam events.

In fact, they’re now second players in the Open Era to face each other in the final of 5+ consecutive ATP-level events in which they both appeared after John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl (Masters 1983 – Roland Garros 1984). With this win at the 2025 US Open, Alcaraz (11,540) has not only managed to secure the top spot in the rankings, but he has also managed to create a gap of 760 points with Sinner (10,780).

However, there is one interesting stat in between these two where the margins are quite minimal. They have met each other 15 times in their careers, with Alcaraz winning 10 out of them. But over the course of their entire rivalry, only 6 points currently separate both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner when it comes to the graph representing every point played between these two. The Spaniard has 1,579 points, while the Italian has 1,573 points (This doesn’t count the match they played at the Challenger level in 2019).

Alcaraz started his fifth spell at number one on Monday and took his overall tally for weeks spent at the top spot to 37 weeks, while Sinner dropped to number 2, following 65 consecutive weeks as the world number one. With plenty of tournaments still left in this season, surely there will be more changes to these numbers. 

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner rule the ranking charts with top 2 spots

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner became the first pair of men to win all four Grand Slams for two straight years since 2007. That’s in fact 8 consecutive Grand Slam titles won between them. Sheer dominance! Seeing their incredible performances at the major tournaments, the 24-time Grand Slam winner was forced to admit that it will be very difficult for him in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams.

In fact, as Alcaraz and Sinner stand on ATP No.1 and No.2 spots, they both have a gap of 760 official points between them. However, the difference is vast between No.2 and No.3 spots, as World. No. 3 Alexander Zverev (5,930) is 4850 official points behind Sinner (10,780). This makes both Alcaraz and Sinner the only two players who have crossed the 10,000-point mark in current rankings.

Seeing their recent triumphs, there has been a constant debate about whether they would ever match the level of the ‘Big 3′. On one side, tennis legends like Mats Wilander backed Carlos Alcaraz to catch Roger Federer, who won 20 Grand Slam singles titles before his retirement, while on the other side, Tennis Hall of Famer journalist, Steve Flink, predicted both Alcaraz and Sinner will fall short of the ‘Big 3′.

Time will tell if they could ever reach that level or not. But when it comes to respecting their rivalry and highlighting how much they push each other to chase further excellence, these two never shy away from admitting the same. When Jannik Sinner came back after serving the doping ban earlier this year, Carlos Alcaraz said, “It [Sinner’s comeback to the tour] is great, honestly. I have seen him around, for me, it’s great to have him back. Honestly, I need him on the tour because, I mean, he pushes me to be a better player and give 100% every day, to be better.” Even the Italian spoke similar lines, multiple times in the past, and now, after their US Open final, they yet heaped praise on each other’s brilliance.

After beating Sinner in the final, Alcaraz joked, “I’m seeing you more than my family.” He also added, “I give 100% every day to improve, sitting down with the team to see what I can do better to beat Jannik and win these kind of trophies. Having this rivalry means a lot – it is super special for me, for him, and for the people who enjoy every it single time we play.” Later on, even in an interview with NBC’s TODAY show, he yet again highlighted how his battles with Sinner help him improve his own game. “I think we push each other to the limit every time…So I think the rivalry it is special, splitting Grand Slams, fighting for the great things.” 

This year, they’ve split the major titles equally (2-2). While sharing his thoughts about the US Open final in particular, Jannik Sinner made no hesitation in admitting, “I give lots of credit to him. He handled the situation better than I did. He raised his level when he had to. I’m still proud of myself and the season I’m playing and making. He played better than me today.” This is exactly what makes this rivalry so special, and by seeing the gentle smile on Jannik Sinner’s face during Carlos Alcaraz’s victory speech, we can definitely say this rivalry is going to be cherished for many years to come.