Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are currently the best two male tennis players on the planet by a considerable margin.
And yet, despite what many would already call a legendary rivalry, the mutual respect they share for one another drives the bulk of the narrative between them.
After all, they have both inflicted some of the toughest losses of one another’s careers, particularly given the fact that they have met in the final of the last three Grand Slam finals.
It was this respect which seemingly informed Carlos Alcaraz’s latest opinion on Jannik Sinner, speaking about the world number two after he narrowly avoided a monumental scare in the Australian Open third round.
Carlos Alcaraz praises Jannik Sinner for battling Australian Open heat
When he was first pitted against Eliot Spizzirri, many expected Sinner to comfortably dispatch the young American.
However, few could have predicted that the scorching Melbourne heat would have impacted him as aggressively as it did, instigating full-body cramps which left him helpless on court.
Rate Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of winning the Australian Open out of 10
In the end, he was bailed out by the ATP’s new heat rule, enforcing a break in play as the roof on the Rod Laver Arena was shut. He returned revitalised and regained control before going on to win in four sets.
Alcaraz, speaking to Eurosport, has commended Sinner for his champion-like spirit to battle back the way he did.
He claimed: “The truth is we already saw, or already knew, that we were going to have that very hot and intense day yesterday. I practised for 35 or 40 minutes and I could already feel the heat, so I couldn’t imagine playing a match in those conditions.
“I think I’m going to have [those conditions] on Tuesday. But truthfully, it was a very intense day. Obviously, I watched Jannik’s match; since I like watching him, I followed what was happening.
“And well, those are situations where you just have to push through; they are very complicated situations. When you are dealing with the heat or things external to the game itself, sometimes it becomes much more difficult.
“But once again, Jannik showed what a champion he is, what a great player, and how good he is at coming out of those situations so ‘unscathed,’ so to speak. But obviously, the physical problems are always there, and I’m sure he will do his best to recover.”
Many have complained about the Australian Open’s handling of the situation since.
How will Carlos Alcaraz fare in the same conditions?
Whilst Sinner wilted in the scorching Melbourne heat, the hope is that Alcaraz will fare far better.
After all, he should be accustomed to such temperatures, having come from Murcia in Spain.
He has already shown his ability to compete in sizzling heat recently too, having won the Cincinnati Open title despite the uncomfortable conditions.
Who has impressed you most so far at the Australian Open?
Speaking after he had won his third-round match, he issued the following statement to his opponents too, noting: “When it’s so warm, we try to focus almost solely on the serve. You notice it’s so complicated that you forget about your opponent’s condition, although I try to think about it as well.
“I’m from Murcia, and it’s very sizzling there, so I’m used to it, and I try to let it barely affect me. When I see my opponent struggling, I try to make the point even longer.”
