Jannik Sinner admits one aspect of his tennis is not at the level of Carlos Alcaraz before Madrid Open final

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has conceded that rival Carlos Alcaraz edges him in one aspect of tennis.

With Alcaraz currently out injured with a wrist injury, many are backing Sinner to win the upcoming events, including the second major of 2026, the French Open, later this month.

The Italian has been in fine form this year, already winning three ATP Masters 1000 events – the Indian Wells Masters, the Miami Open and the Monte-Carlo Masters – and, in doing so, becoming the first man to achieve the ‘Sunshine Double’ without dropping a single set.

On Sunday, Sinner, who is on a 22-match winning streak, will return to the court to contest the Madrid Open final against world No. 3 Alexander Zverev, having beaten France’s Arthur Fils 6–2, 6–4 in the semi-finals on Friday.

Zverev defeated Belgium’s Alexander Blockx to book his place in the final.

In recent months, Sinner has integrated more effective drop shots into his game, which prompted questions about his improvement in this aspect of his game in his press conference ahead of the Madrid final, with the Italian also quick to mention his rival Alcaraz.

“It is a part of my game I’m trying to improve, of course,” said Sinner. “But I’m definitely not at the level of Carlos, that’s for sure. But I’m still trying. It’s good for my game trying to mix it up.”

When pressed on how he deals with hostile crowds, especially in Alcaraz’s home country of Spain, he mentioned Novak Djokovic, who at times has been on the receiving end of some less-than-welcoming receptions.

“I think everyone is different,” said the 24-year-old. “Novak [Djokovic] handled it very, very well, of course; I think the best. But for me, I don’t have a technique. I’m just happy to be part of the match.

“People come to see good tennis, and sometimes people, they’re not against you, they just want to see a little bit more tennis, so I also understand them. Yeah, that’s it.

“Look, I try to stay also calm in very tough moments. This is just how I am, it doesn’t mean it’s good or bad. Everyone is different.

“But yeah, the crowd can give you a lot of positives. Me, when I play in Italy, it means a lot to me, Of course. I always say you have an extra shot playing with the crowd.

“But honestly, even when I played against Rafael [Jodar] here, it was a nice atmosphere. I think they are very, very fair towards me, and that’s something I really appreciate.”