Carlos Alcaraz on US Open consistency and 'what makes a really good rivalry' with Jannik Sinner

ATP Tour

Alcaraz on US Open consistency and 'what makes a really good rivalry' with Sinner

Spaniard is into US Open QFs without dropping a set

Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour Carlos Alcaraz is into the quarter-finals at a major tournament without dropping a set for the first time in his career. By Jerome Coombe

Carlos Alcaraz has built a reputation as a perfectionist, a trait that fuels both his success and his relentless self-criticism.

For the five-time major winner, no matter how impressive the result, there is always room to improve. That mindset is on full display this week at the US Open, where Alcaraz has reached the quarter-finals at a major tournament without dropping a set for the first time in his career.

Yet the question lingers: do people really see him as consistent?

“Probably a lot of people have talked about [how] I am not as consistent as I should be,” Alcaraz said when told he has reached the quarter-finals in 11 of his past 12 appearances at major tournaments. “But at the same time, those stats are really great to know for me, just to see that I'm making really good results in the really good tournaments.

“Obviously I'm sometimes really hard with myself that the quarter-finals is not enough, semi-final is not enough sometimes… But you have to see more than their shots, I have to see if I played well, and realise that semi-final or quarter-final in a Grand Slam is a pretty good result. I've been talking a lot about [how] I should be [more] consistent, playing much better matches, or whatever. So I think that's why a lot of people have talked about it, as well.”

The numbers tell their own story. Alcaraz leads the ATP Tour this season with 58 wins and six titles, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, including his second Roland Garros trophy and three ATP Masters 1000 crowns. Three of those victories came against his biggest rival Jannik Sinner, underscoring the way their careers have become intertwined.

But if Alcaraz is seen as a relentless competitor, Sinner represents a different model of consistency. The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings has competed in just six tour-level events prior to his title defence at the US Open, reaching the final in five and winning three. Four of those championship matches have come against Alcaraz.

Their rivalry has become the measuring stick for Alcaraz’s own sense of steadiness. The 22-year-old Spaniard has the opportunity to reclaim the World No. 1 spot for the first time since 2023 if he matches or betters Sinner’s result in New York.

“Well, what makes a really good rivalry? Obviously the matches,” Alcaraz said with a smile when asked about his rivalry with Sinner. “That's the first thing and which rounds we will play against each other, for what we are fighting for, I think that makes a really good rivalry.

“Right now Jannik and I are fighting for the No. 1 spot. We are fighting for the Grand Slams. We've played two finals already this year. A few Masters 1000 finals. So we are fighting for the great things in tennis, and I think that makes a good rivalry. That's what [is] making us a really good rivalry and that's what the Big Three did. They played the Grand Slam finals, and they split the No. 1 spot for a really long time. I would say that's what makes a really good rivalry.”

Alcaraz leads Sinner 9-5 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series and the two are seeded to meet in the final for a fifth consecutive tournament that they have both featured in. First, though, Alcaraz faces a quarter-final clash with Jiri Lehecka, who is one of just five players to have defeated the Spaniard this season.

Even though Alcaraz is yet to drop a set through four matches at the US Open, the 2022 champion knows there is always room to improve.

“The days off between matches, we just try to approach the practice the same way that I'm going to play during the next match. For example, yesterday I worked [on] how I should deal with the serve and volley,” explained Alcaraz.

“So tomorrow, we will see Lehecka's game and I'm going to approach the practice in that way, just to be [as] ready as I can for that match, trying to hit the ball well, trying to get a good feeling with the serve, with everything. Just easy practice, and saving energy for the quarter-final.”

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