The one thing Jannik Sinner ‘doesn’t care’ about in Carlos Alcaraz rivalry revealed by his ex-coach
Jannik Sinner’s former coach Riccardo Piatti has asserted that the Italian “doesn’t care” about crowd support in his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz.
The final of the 2025 Cincinnati Open will see Sinner and Alcaraz face off for the 14th time, with the latter holding a 8-5 edge.
This is the fourth straight tournament attended by Sinner and Alcaraz where the dominant duo will meet in the final; after Wimbledon, the French Open and the Italian Open.
Sinner won the pair’s last encounter in four sets at Wimbledon after Alcaraz prevailed in a five-set French Open epic and a straight-set clash in Rome.
Alcaraz is seeking his maiden Cincinnati crown having been a runner-up in 2023, while Sinner is chasing a second straight title at the Masters 1000 tournament.
Piatti — who coached Sinner from the age of 13 until 2022, when he was 20 — gave his verdict on the year-end No 1 battle between Sinner and Alcaraz.
“After Wimbledon, the best players are taking stock and starting to think about the ATP Finals. They (Sinner and Alcaraz) solved the problem of qualifying for Turin,” Piatti said in an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa.
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“They still have two more to do: win the US Open and finish the season as number one. Alcaraz wasn’t in a rush, and he did well, because the one he’s chasing now is Sinner.
“For them, points and money aren’t important. Winning, winning, winning is what counts. The rest will follow. Alcaraz must aim for the US Open: if he makes it, it will be difficult for Jannik to finish the year as number one.
“That’s their fun. There are many interests around them, including financial ones, but they are kids who love competition. They enjoy challenging each other, they aspire to be the strongest, but in a healthy way, without obsessions.”
The Italian coach was also asked about Alcaraz tending to be the crowd favourite against Sinner.
“Jannik doesn’t care. In Paris, the crowd supported Carlos more, at Wimbledon, it was more Jan, but they are two different styles and two different personalities,” Piatti declared.
“It’s completely normal: imagine if we had two Nadals instead of one Nadal and one Federer. They both understand how the world works. There are fans who always want one to win, and others who like to see the strongest one fall. That’s what sport is all about.”
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