"I don't know why so many Italian fans continue to love me so much”: Carlos Alcaraz embraces Italian fans amid growing rivalry with Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz spoke about the affection he has received from the Italian public despite his rivalry with local hero Jannik Sinner. The 4-time Grand Slam champion arrived in Turin to compete in the ATP Finals for the second time in his career. The young Spaniard played in the 2023 tournament, reaching the semifinals, where he fell to Novak Djokovic, who later claimed the title by defeating Sinner in the final.

This time in Turin, Alcaraz comes as the third seed and hopes to improve his 2024 result. He highlighted the challenge of a draw that includes the season’s top eight players, despite the absence of Djokovic, who withdrew a few days earlier despite qualifying.

"I would really like to lift this prestigious trophy one day. It’s only the second time I play in Turin, and for me, playing with the best seven players in the world really means a lot. Being here is a goal that I have been chasing since the beginning of the season."

"I honestly don't know why so many Italian fans continue to love me so much despite my rivalry with Jannik, but I think it's because I always try to entertain people when I go on court,” the world No. 3 added. “Maybe it's because of my personality, or maybe it's just my tennis, but it's true that in Italy I feel the fans' passion. Italians love sports a lot, not just tennis.”

"I don’t want to think about Davis Cup at the moment, also because it's difficult for me to accept Rafa Nadal's retirement,” Alcaraz said. “I'm focused on the ATP Finals, and I don't know what will happen in Malaga. I'll think about it when the time comes and we'll see how it goes."

On the other hand, his rival Sinner spoke about his joy after qualifying for the Finals for the second time and gave credit to his rivals. "It's a special tournament for us; we make a lot of sacrifices to be here,” he said. “And when you get here, you have to beat the best in the world right from the group stage. I think it will be a great show for the spectators too.”

The world No. 1 also acknowledged his fellow Italians for the current strength of Italian tennis. A year ago, Sinner led Italy to the Davis Cup title, the country’s first in 47 years. "Many things have changed in 12 months, but my approach to matches hasn't. Since we won the Davis Cup last year, tennis in Italy has grown.”

“I have achieved great results, but we mustn't forget what Fognini and Berrettini did before, and the great seasons of Musetti, Cobolli, and Arnaldi. The goal is always to make this sport grow, which is very beautiful. It’s difficult to talk about a rivalry with Alcaraz when we are so young; we’ve each won two Slams this year, but we still have a lot ahead of us. We hope it will be a great tournament for the crowd, but it’s still too early to talk about a rivalry."