Carlos Alcaraz reveals why he didn’t call Jannik Sinner while Italian was banned

Carlos Alcaraz has explained why he didn’t reach out to Jannik Sinner while the Italian was banned from tennis.

World No 1 Sinner was suspended from February 9 until May 4 after his two positive tests for the banned substance Clostebol during March 2024.

The three-time Grand Slam winner made his return to the sport at the Italian Open and revealed during the tournament that a handful of players contacted him while he was sidelined, but Alcaraz was not one of them.

After beating Sinner in the Rome final, the following question was put to 22-year-old: “Some other players didn’t call him, and he was expecting them to call. Do you think he was maybe thinking about you? I found out recently that you said you didn’t feel like calling him…”

The four-time Grand Slam winner replied: “Well, I mean, that three months I can’t feel him because I wasn’t in that position. I mean, I can understand him that he was surprise about some players who call him. I didn’t call him. I didn’t talk to him in that three months.

“But it wasn’t about if I was agreed or not. I mean, I was playing. I was in my feelings, as well. Honestly, I can understand him that he was surprised about some other players who didn’t call him. It is in his rights to say it.

“I have to say that I don’t know if he said that because of me or not.”

The Spaniard added: “I don’t know if he was thinking about me, he wasn’t thinking about me. I don’t know that.

“What I can say is I (indiscernible) him when he got injured sometimes just giving him my good energy just to have him back as soon as possible. It is about we’re playing, fighting each other. In that three months, I can understand him, what he said.

“Honestly, I don’t know if he was thinking about some players or others.”

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But there is no doubt that Alcaraz remains a big fan of Sinner’s game as there was no rust from the Italian despite his lengthy absence from the game.

The Spaniard, though, took a 7-4 lead in their head-to-head rivalry with his two-set win in the Italian Open final.

“He’s the best players in the world. It doesn’t matter that he was out of the tour for three months. Every tournament he’s playing, he plays great. The numbers are there. I mean, he wins almost every match he plays. That’s why I’m even more focused when I play against him,” the world No 2 said.

“If I don’t play at my best, 10 out of 10, it’s going to be impossible to beat him. That’s why I’m more focused when I’m playing against him, or I feel a little bit different when I’m going to face him than other players.

“I think obviously for the rest of the players are the same when they are facing Jannik. Is kind of different feeling. He has that aura. When you’re seeing him at the other side of the net, it’s kind of different.

“That’s why obviously I’m feeling that the people are putting so much, let’s say – how can I say – pressure in a certain way to both of us when we are facing each other.”