Former world No 5 Anna Chakvetadze has spoken to Tennis365 about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry and identified the one thing that is “missing.”
Alcaraz and Sinner, who are ranked first and second and have each won four of the last eight Grand Slam titles between them, have established themselves as the leading stars of their generation.
The duo’s rivalry reached new heights in 2025 as they met in the finals at five consecutive tournaments where they both competed between May and September: Rome, French Open, Wimbledon, Cincinnati and US Open.
They are the only players in the Open Era to face off in three successive Grand Slam finals in the same season, and the first pair to meet in three major finals in a row since Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (2011-2012).
In a stratospheric Roland Garros final, Alcaraz prevailed in five sets after five hours and 29 minutes having saved three Sinner championship points in the fourth set. The contest has been lauded by many observers as one of the greatest matches in tennis history.
Alcaraz also defeated the Italian in Rome, Cincinnati and at the US Open last year, while Sinner overcame the Spaniard at Wimbledon and at the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin.
The overall head-to-head sits at 10-6 in Alcaraz’s favour heading into the 2026 season, with the Spaniard holding a 4-2 edge in Grand Slam encounters.
Exclusive Interviews
Ex-WTA star Anna Chakvetadze reflects on her standout memories – and a match fans still talk about
Who can break Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner’s dominance? Marcos Baghdatis predicts
What did Anna Chakvetadze say about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s rivalry?
In an exclusive interview, Chakvetadze compared Alcaraz and Sinner’s rivalry to the legendary rivalries between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
“I think everyone can see how determined both Alcaraz and Sinner are,” said the Russian, who played from 2003 to 2013.
“Right now, they clearly have a real rivalry, very similar in feeling to what we once saw between Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.”
The eight-time WTA Tour title winner continued: “At the moment, it almost feels like something is missing — a strong third player in that battle.
“Maybe a third contender will emerge next season, but for now, in terms of level and consistency, Alcaraz and Sinner are clearly ahead of the rest.”
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic’s ex-rival makes ‘given up’ claim about the Serb challenging Alcaraz & Sinner
The post ‘Alcaraz & Sinner’s rivalry is very similar to Federer, Nadal, Djokovic – but something is missing’ appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply