The world’s top two tennis players have impressed at Flushing Meadows, New York, to reach the third round, and Sinner, 24, has applauded his rival, 22, for his performance on the court - dubbing him the “big favourite” of the competition
He said of Alcaraz: “I feel like he is an all-round player.
“I think we have seen that on many, many occasions, and winning Roland Garros and winning Wimbledon and winning here. You know, it shows that he knows how to play on every surface.
“I’ve seen the match here, and he’s playing very, very good and not missing barely any shots at the moment. So he’s confident.
“It makes it very difficult to play against him, because tactically you prepare matches in different ways depending on where you play.
“He is a big favourite in every tournament where he plays because he has so many solutions and game styles he can provide and he can solve problems with.
“There are many, many things which make him so difficult to play against, but it’s great for the sport. It’s good to have someone like Carlos, entertaining and great to watch, and that’s what people love.”
After facing eachother in the French Open and Wimbledon finals earlier this year, Sinner and Alcaraz met once again earlier this month at the Cincinnati Open.
The match ended prematurely when the Italian, trailing 5–0 in the first set, was forced to retire due to illness.
Sinner, last year’s US Open champion, now hopes to repeat his Melbourne triumph from earlier this season, when he successfully defended a Grand Slam title for the first time in his career.
But the world No. 1 offered a different perspective, saying: “As I always say, I’m not defending.
“I’m always chasing, because every tournament you start with zero on the first round, and if you don’t play well, you are out of the tournament.
“You know, you are chasing for the trophies or good performances, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Sinner is set to face Denis Shapovalov in the third round on Saturday (30.08.25), while Alcaraz continues his campaign on Friday (29.08.25) against 34th-ranked Luciano Darderi.
