Alcaraz, about Sinner: "Sometimes it seems like he's playing ping pong"

Unforced errors punished a Carlos Alcaraz who ended up conceding in straight sets to an unstoppable Jannik Sinner. The comfort of the Italian on the other side of the net sealed the victory for the world number two in this Six Kings Slam 2025.

Despite trying to significantly change his reaction in the second set, the final result remained the same, with a stellar Sinner dominating the Six Kings Slam 2025 court. These were the words of Carlos Alcaraz in the moments after the defeat in Saudi Arabia.

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"When Jannik plays at this level, it's always tough. Today, he was too good; everyone could enjoy his tennis. It was a very high level of tennis," Carlos Alcaraz stated during the trophy presentation interview.

"He played great tennis today, didn't allow me to find rhythm in the match. He says he improved his serve, and I could see that. I didn't have any break points, which I'm not used to. When he serves really well, it's very challenging to play. I couldn't find any solutions. That adds extra pressure, especially against a great returner."

"Do you really enjoy it when Sinner plays like that?"

"Not much," replied the Spanish player jokingly. "Sometimes it looks like he's playing ping pong. It's not fun being on the other side of the net. I always say that when he plays at such an incredible level, it motivates me to hit the court, train, and give it my all. It's like a puzzle; sometimes I don't like it, but it gives me that extra push to improve."

Alcaraz and his special friendship with Sinner

"I have written to him several times to check how he's doing, to congratulate him. We have a special relationship, a friendship off the court aside from the on-court rivalry that people may think is competitive and incompatible. We've shown it's possible; we talk much more than people would think," Carlos confessed.

Alcaraz assesses the rest of the season

"There are still a few indoor tournaments remaining; I am trying to adapt to the courts. I don't have the best record on these surfaces, but I'm trying to improve. The number one spot is at stake, so I'll give my best."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz, sobre Sinner: "A veces parece que está jugando al ping pong"