Jannik Sinner responds to Carlos Alcaraz complaints after pair discovered China Open draw
Jannik Sinner has responded to a complaint made by Carlos Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner has told rival Carlos Alcaraz that he can choose not to play at tournaments after the Spaniard complained that the expanding tennis calendar is going to “kill” players. Alcaraz believes a growing number of injuries correlate with players playing more matches.
Wimbledon and French Open champion Alcaraz has already played in 50 singles matches in 2024. His gruelling year has also taken in a run to the final at the Olympics, in which he was beaten by Novak Djokovic, and the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.
"Probably they are going to kill us in some way," Alcaraz said at the Laver Cup. “Right now there are a lot of injuries. Right now a lot of good players are going to miss a lot of tournaments because of that."
Alcaraz admitted that other players share a different view to his own. One of those appears to be Sinner, who points out that his rivals are welcome to sit out of tournaments to focus on their fitness.
Related articles
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
“Yes, these years it is quite long, but you have to choose. Of course there are mandatory tournaments, but a player can still choose,” the US Open champion said.
“You don't have to play: if you want you play, if you don't want you don't play. For example, both this year and last year I skipped some tournaments because I wanted to train, there are choices behind it. Then of course the season is long and it's not easy.
“I always try to improve on and off the field and understand myself, trying to understand what works and what doesn't work. There is still room for improvement and that for me is the most stimulating part.”
Despite his complaints about the calendar, Alcaraz has signed up to play in the China Open this week. It comes just days after he defeated American duo Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz in matches played across successive days.
The 21-year-old has been handed a tough draw against world No. 52 Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who shone on his debut at Wimbledon earlier this year. The Frenchman reached the fourth round in SW19, but was beaten by Italian Lorenzo Musetti.
Meanwhile, Sinner will face the world No. 28 Nicolas Jarry in the first round in China. Both Alcaraz and Sinner will expect to go far in the Beijing-based tournament.
