Jannik Sinner has momentum for Carlos Alcaraz showdown in

Australian Open champion is well placed to continue winning run but Spaniard’s clay court game is a threat

In the middle of the off-season last December, a small ceremony was held at the JC Ferrero Equelite academy in Villena to recognise the academy’s primary court being named after its most famous student, Carlos Alcaraz. Among those present for the occasion in Spain, one person stood out. From the sidelines, a smiling Jannik Sinner recorded the moment on his phone. He had been there for the day to train and play an exhibition match with his rival.

Over the past five years it has become increasingly clear that the careers of Alcaraz and Sinner would meet at the top of the game, the two brightest talents of the first generation to exist mostly out of the shadow of the big three of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Despite that, they have continued to be friendly with each other, to publicly root for the other’s success and even, occasionally, to train against each other.