Jim Courier has pinpointed the key difference between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner which makes their rivalry so great.
After all, everybody knows that they boast contrasting personalities and game styles, both of which have their benefits and their drawbacks.
Such is the nature of sport, there is never just one way to win.
These two express that perfectly, and despite having lost his last five to the Spaniard, yesterday saw Jannik Sinner snap that streak to win the Wimbledon title.
Courier, speaking on Tennis Channel Live, has explained what he saw before the match, which reinforces the difference between them.
Jim Courier explains what Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner both did before the Wimbledon final
Seeking to analyse the match just after Lindsay Davenport revealed what Alcaraz was shouting at his box mid-way through, Courier then took over to offer a revelation of his own.
After all, he had seen both players warming up before the final, and noticed a key difference between the two which almost sums them up.
He claimed: “It’s really interesting, just the way that they handled their warm-ups today as well.
“It was Alcaraz out amongst the public playing on one of the field courts, one of the match courts that are no longer in use.
“And he had a huge audience around him while Sinner chose to go back to Aorangi Park, where it’s private and do it in a very quiet environment.
“Alcaraz was out early, ready to take this walk. Sinner made him wait. He was in the locker room, doing his final preparations.
“So it’s what’s great about this rivalry. They are good friends, yes, but they approach everything so differently. The contrast really is something special.”
Carlos Alcaraz will be out for revenge at the US Open
Having now been dethroned at Wimbledon and come within one point of losing his French Open title too, Carlos Alcaraz will be frustrated at how he has allowed Sinner to creep back into their rivalry.
After all, ahead of yesterday’s final, he was enjoying a five-match winning streak against him, looking like the only player on earth who had his number.
Now, that is no longer the case.
Alcaraz will seek to avenge his latest defeat, and where better than in New York, where Sinner is the reigning champion.
Already a winner of the US Open, the 22-year-old has the pedigree to achieve this feat again. And, he will be motivated by all the pain he has just suffered at the All-England Club.
Hopefully, we get to see these two meet again soon, to renew a rivalry that the entire sporting world is starting to invest in.
