Jannik Sinner, from the'entourage a reflection on Carlos Alcaraz that will cause discussion
Jannik Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in the final of the Madrid Masters 1000 but, despite the fact that the German represents an opponent who has failed to beat him since 2023, there is some sorrow seeping from the South Tyrolean’s entourage that he will not be challenging the home hero of the Open on Iberian soil. This is, of course, Carlos Alcaraz, with whom relations remain firmly good despite the rivalry. Just like those with the other hero of Iberian tennis: the very young Rafael Jodar.
“Alcaraz right now would have been the favorite on clay,” Sinner’s coach, Simone Vagnozzi, admitted to ‘Sky Sport.’ “Let’s remember that at Roland Garros he won the last two years, or that in Rome he won anyway. So here in Madrid you lost the favorite, and so there is that extra bit of pressure on Jannik. Anyway, let’s try to forget about all that, since in Paris there will be seven matches to win anyway, in Rome six, and here in Madrid there will be another one this Sunday.”
“Clearly sorry for Alcaraz’s injury,” Vagnozzi continued, “You never wish harm on another player. Especially Carlos, with whom all of us on Sinner’s staff have a very good relationship. Besides, of course, Jannik himself. These guys push hard every day, and unfortunately, injury comes with it. And, when it comes, you can’t avoid it. This time it happened to him, the next time it can happen to any of the other players.”
The seriousness of Alcaraz’s injury emerged in all its seriousness when the Spaniard, with a message posted on his Instagram profile, announced his forfeit not only for Madrid but also for the Internazionali d’Italia and Roland Garros. A right wrist problem that, according to Dr. Marc Juvenspan, a surgeon specializing in hand and shoulder problems, could be “either a tendinitis of the ECU, or a lesion of the TFCC, the triangular ligament that is inside the wrist and connects the ulna and radius.” The recovery time remains uncertain: “It can last three weeks as much as six months, or even longer,” warned the expert.
On the front of Sunday’s final, Sinner comes into the event on the back of a simply extraordinary streak of results: twenty-two consecutive victories on the major circuit, culminating with a semifinal win over Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-4 in just one hour and 26 minutes. It was a path that allowed him to sign a historic record, becoming the youngest tennis player ever to reach at least one final in all nine Masters 1000 events currently on the calendar. Before him, such a milestone had only been achieved by Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, but not so soon.
On the other side of the net, Zverev arrives at the final with renewed confidence, on the strength of a convincing run at the Caja Magica that saw him dismiss Cobolli in the quarters with a clear 6-1, 6-4 and then overcome Blockx in the semifinals. The German, who has already won two titles in Madrid in 2018 and 2021 and is in his fourth final in the tournament, is not hiding his ambitions. He showed this by prodding Sinner himself already: “He’s a pretty quiet guy and he’s enjoying tennis at the moment. In fact, I think tennis is all too easy for him right now… Maybe I’ll make it a little bit harder for him on Sunday.” This will be the 14th head-to-head between the two: since 2024, Sinner has won all eight direct clashes played against the German, who has failed to beat him since 2023.
In the background, the question related to Sinner’s participation in the Internazionali d’Italia also remains open. The South Tyrolean, who did not mince words at the press conference – “I’ll see how I feel” – wants to arrive at Roland Garros in the best possible condition. “I always say that the crowd gives you an extra push. Rome will be a different story,” he added, however, hinting that the desire to play in front of the home crowd remains strong, as long as the physique responds present after a month and a half of tennis at the highest level.
