Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have dominated the tennis scene this year, just as expected. The last eight Grand Slam titles have been won by this duo, and fans are eagerly awaiting their next clashes. Competing against these two is really tough, and most tennis players have openly spoken about how difficult it is to match Sinner and Alcaraz.

After the Spanish tennis player’s shocking defeat to Cameron Norrie, Alcaraz decided to speak openly about his rivalry with Sinner. The Spanish player emphasized that he has immense respect for Sinner, both on and off the tennis courts.

There is no bad blood between them, and this can be felt not only in the words of Alcaraz, but also in the words of Sinner, who often emphasizes how much respect they really have for each other.

“Obviously, I have a lot of respect for him on the court for everything he does and how he behaves,” said Alcaraz, as quoted by Tennis Gazette.

“But also, I have a lot of respect off the court for the person he is, because he is a very simple, very humble person, with very good values, like his family or his friends, which is something I really appreciate and admire and that is something that deserves real appreciation.

That’s why I think we have this beautiful rivalry. Thanks to the respect, the good relationship, and the fact that we are friends off the court.”

Exciting moments

Such rivalries often bring exciting moments and tension, but despite everything, it is important to stay down to earth and understand that rivalries can sometimes be important for both of you to progress.

Carlos Alcaraz points out that their fight often carries mental pressures and that it is crucial to get inside your opponent’s head to understand his plans and tactics.

The young tennis player sometimes does not choose methods and means to achieve victory, and he admits that sometimes he wants to provoke his opponent. Such tactics, it seems, bring benefits to him, as seen in his match against Sinner.

“He makes me better every time I face him, every time we play, I try to get into his head. Thinking about what he is going to do to try to win. I also try to frustrate him to beat me, I think it’s something beautiful, It pushes us to our limits every time, we get better every time.“- he concluded.

Jannik Sinner is four wins away from replacing Carlos Alcaraz at No 1 in the ATP Rankings, but even if he manages to pull off the feat, he won’t be the top seed at the ATP Finals.

After 65 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings, Sinner lost his position to his Spanish rival after the US Open at the beginning of September and many expected the six-time Grand Slam winner to remain there for the rest of the year.

However, Alcaraz’s shock second-round loss at the Paris Masters has opened the door for the Italian to return to No 1 as Sinner can move ahead if he wins the final ATP 1000 trophy of the year.

But he won’t be the top seed at the ATP Finals as the seedings are based on the ATP Rankings Race To Turin and Alcaraz is currently on 11,050 points with Sinner able to get to a maximum of 10,000 with a title run in Paris.

And when you do the sums for the official rankings, you will get to the same tally.

Alcaraz has 11,250 points in the Live Rankings and Sinner can reach a maximum of 11,500 points if he lifts the trophy at La Défense Arena, but he will only be top for one week before the Spaniard regains the crown.

The points for the 2024 ATP Finals will drop after the final week of the regular ATP Tour action, which is November 3-9 with the Hellenic Championships and Moselle Open the last two tournaments of the year.

Alcaraz and Sinner won’t feature so they won’t be able to add to their tallies before the points drop, and the latter will drop 1,500 points as he won last year’s season-ending event undefeated, while the Spaniard will lose only 200 points.

Hypothetically, Sinner would be on 11,500 with a Paris title and will move to 10,000 with Alcaraz on 11,050.

So Alcaraz will be the top seed and will head Group Jimmy Connors with Sinner topping Group Bjorn Borg.

As for the rest of the seedings, Alexander Zverev is still alive at the Paris Masters and he is on course to be the third seed.

The German is on 4,660 points in the Race To Turin, but if he doesn’t make the latter stages of the tournament, then it will give Novak Djokovic a chance to overtake him as the 24-time Grand Slam winner has entered the Hellenic ATP 250 event.

Zverev will drop 600 points from the 2024 ATP Finals while Djokovic (4,580) doesn’t have any points to defend.

Taylor Fritz is the other player who has already qualified for the year-end tournament in Turin and he could move ahead of Djokovic if he wins the title in Paris.

But all of that might not matter as Djokovic looks set to miss the ATP Finals for a second consecutive year as the tennis great looks set to stick to his promise to play only the Grand Slams and events that have a significant meaning to him.

Holger Rune is receiving plenty of love and encouragement from his family as he continues his journey back from injury. The Danish tennis star recently shared a heartfelt update on social media about his ongoing recovery process after undergoing surgery for a torn Achilles tendon.

His latest video, showing him working through early rehab exercises, prompted supportive messages from his parents and sister, who continue to stand firmly by his side during this challenging time.

Holger Rune’s Heartbreaking Injury at the 2025 Stockholm Open

Rune’s 2025 Stockholm Open campaign ended in heartbreak earlier this month after he suffered a devastating Achilles injury during his semifinal match against France’s Ugo Humbert. The 22-year-old, who entered the tournament as one of the top contenders for the title, was leading 6-4, 2-2 when disaster struck.

While lunging for a deep forehand, Rune landed awkwardly on his left leg and immediately collapsed, clutching his lower calf in pain. He later told the on-site physio he had heard a “pop,” a sound that signaled something serious. After an on-court medical timeout, the visibly emotional Dane was forced to retire from the match.

According to his mother, Aneke, the incident resulted in a full rupture of his Achilles tendon. She confirmed that Holger underwent surgery soon after and would require three to six months of recovery and rehabilitation. Despite the severity of the injury, Rune remained upbeat in his social media messages.

In a heartfelt Instagram post shortly after the match, he shared his initial reaction to the diagnosis: “My Achilles is full broken on the proximal part meaning I need operation already next week and from here rehabilitation,” he wrote.

Following the operation in Copenhagen, he assured fans that the procedure had gone smoothly, writing, “Surgery went really well today. Thank you for all your incredible messages and support ❤️ I will keep you updated on my recovery. But now rest and heal.”

How Are Rune’s Parents and Sister Supporting Him Through His Recovery?

Just over a week later, Rune treated fans to another encouraging update. On Instagram, he posted a short clip showing him performing light rehabilitation exercises under medical supervision, accompanied by the caption, “8 days since surgery and keeping spirit high 😄🦾.”

The post drew emotional responses from his loved ones. His father, Anders Nødskov, commented “🔥🌟🤍,” while his mother, Aneke, left a simple “❤️.” Rune’s sister, Alma, also joined in, adding a series of heart emojis “💟💟💟💟💟.”

The injury has forced Rune to conclude his 2025 campaign prematurely. The Dane finishes the year with a 36-22 match record, highlighted by his single title win at the Barcelona Open, where he beat Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(6), 6-2 in the championship match. He also reached the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.