One would feel that, given their on-court rivalry, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz would not be on the best of terms off the court, but after his second Wimbledon win, the Italian had a message for his Spanish archrival. The World No. 1 wanted Alcaraz back on the Tour as soon as possible to raise the ATP’s competitive level.

“We hope Carlos is coming back as well… because tennis needs him,” said Sinner in his post-match press conference. “Having Novak still around and having all the young players coming is really nice. But at the same time, you always need to work harder and harder to have moments like this.” Alcaraz has been out of action since Barcelona, withdrawing from the French Open and Wimbledon well in advance due to a wrist injury.

There have been regular medical updates from the Alcaraz camp regarding the Spaniard’s recovery. However, it still seems there is some way to go, as the seven-time Major champion withdrew from the Canadian Open, the first big event of the North American hard-court swing. It is widely speculated that Alcaraz is aiming to return to the US Open, which would be big news for fans and the Tour alike.

Like the trio of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal, the duo of Sinner and Alcaraz has always shown the highest respect for each other, citing how each has pushed the other to improve their game. Before Alcaraz’s injury layoff, he and Sinner had swept the Slams in 2024 and 2025, with Alcaraz also bagging the title in Melbourne this year. The two of them contested three consecutive Grand Slam finals last year, with the French Open final among the best matches in the history of the sport.

Sinner and Alcaraz have made it a habit to outdo one another, as while the Spaniard started the season with a 16-match win streak, Sinner has since built a 30-match win streak since March, winning five Masters 1000 titles in a row. However, even though Alcaraz was not there, other players and external factors proved threats to Sinner’s path.

Jannik Sinner Had Other Challenges While Carlos Alcaraz Was Away

With Alcaraz away, Alexander Zverev really emerged as the player to watch out for in the last two months besides Sinner. The newly-crowned World No. 2 got his first major at Roland Garros, and reaching the Wimbledon final was a career milestone for him as he had never been past the fourth round at SW19.

Yes, the German did have the luck of the draw with Alcaraz not being there, but it is the improved game style that has caught people’s attention. The French Open champion seems to have made a switch from long defensive rallies to unleashing his forehand to have quick points in his favor, a game style that even drove Sinner to a corner for a better part of the two sets at the Wimbledon final.

Sinner, however, gradually found his way to win the match against the big-serving German, marking his tenth consecutive victory against Zverev, his fifth this year. The Italian also faced significant competition from Djokovic this year, as the Serb beat him in a five-set thriller in Melbourne, but as the pair’s semifinal match at SW19 revealed, Djokovic does need a favor from the draw and needs to have efficient wins in the initial rounds of a Slam as he struggles to keep his form up against the likes of Sinner in the latter rounds, which is natural at this stage of his career.

More than any opponent, it was the natural elements that challenged Sinner the most while Alcaraz was away. The Italian had his physical struggles in Australia but had the rub of the green when the roof closed. Even in a night match against Medvedev in Rome, the Italian seemed to be suffering from cramps and was physically struggling. All of the factors reached a tipping point at the French Open, when he completely broke down under the Paris sun and lost to Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round, despite winning the first two sets and being one game away in the third.

With temperatures in London at an all-time high, speculation was rife that Sinner would have a similar meltdown at Wimbledon. The Italian was pushed to five sets in his first-round clash against Miomir Kecmanovic, which only increased the outside noise. However, like a true champion, the top seed’s form improved as the tournament went on, with the Italian not being broken even once in the semifinal and final, winning his fifth major title.