Carlos Alcaraz delivered a masterclass in ball striking against arch rival Jannik Sinner on Sunday evening at the US Open final. Now, at the grand age of 22, Alcaraz has bagged his sixth slam title.

It’s an all too familiar story: Alcaraz and Sinner have met in each of the past three major finals. In fact, since Novak Djokovic’s US Open win in 2023, no one outside of Alcaraz or Sinner has won a Grand Slam.

Coincidentally, the dominance of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic had an eerily similar feel. Only six men won a Grand Slam outside of ‘the big three’ during the peak years of their dominance between 2006 and 2021.

With Sinner not long turning 24 and Alcaraz still only 22, both men are poised to dominate the sport for the next decade just like their predecessors.

But what makes them both so good?

Carlos Alcaraz, dubbed by many as ‘the people’s champion’. The cheerful and dynamic Spaniard plays tennis with the innocence of youth, a refreshing personality in a sport that can be so fierce and mentally draining.

Alcaraz burst onto the professional tennis scene at the tender age of 15. He quickly achieved success, winning his first ATP title at the age of 18 and his first Grand Slam at 19. This remarkable feat helped him become the youngest male to top the singles rankings in the Open Era.

His game is built on athleticism and his remarkable capacity to produce unpredictable shots from seemingly impossible angles. He often whips up the crowds in packed-out stadiums and charges himself off emotion, as if he is a gladiator in his own arena.

At this year’s US Open, the Nike poster boy debuted his freshly shaved head and retro Total 90 sleeveless training top. Add this to his renowned golf swing celebration and cheeky grin, and he’s a marketing dream.

With his latest triumph, he reclaimed the world number one spot, making it easy for some to draw comparisons to the great Rafa Nadal. However, given his current track record, it’s possible that he could totally eclipse even Nadal’s career when all is said and done.

In contrast, Sinner is a cool and composed character. Unlike Alcaraz, who goads the crowd, Sinner expresses himself through his mechanical booming forehands and baseline dominance.

He is a quiet, grounded, and private individual, but his mental toughness sets him apart from the rest. Sinner smothers his opponents with mistake-free tennis, tightening his grip on matches until there’s nowhere for his opponents to escape.

In 2024, Sinner’s public perception was tainted by a doping scandal. Twice, Sinner tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid called clostebol, which the International Tennis Integrity Agency ruled to be an unintentional use of a massage spray.

The World Anti-Doping Agency argued that athletes are responsible for team negligence, even if unintentional. As a result, Sinner accepted a three-month ban and expressed his desire to move on and focus on his tennis.

The outcome caused widespread outrage. Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios protested, saying, “Ridiculous… you get tested twice with a banned substance, and you should be banned for two years.” Even Novak Djokovic suggested that players on the circuit sensed ‘favouritism’ and unequal treatment due to the imposed ban.

Despite controversy, Sinner reached the Italian Open final several weeks into his return, losing to Alcaraz. He then went on to reach the French Open final, again losing to Alcaraz in an all-time classic. Before gaining redemption by winning Wimbledon and taking his Grand Slam tally to four, against you guessed it, Carlos Alcaraz.

As a fellow professional, it must be challenging to stay motivated in this era of Alcaraz and Sinner. Their superhuman abilities and comfort on all surfaces make it difficult for anyone else to compete.

Their dominance is evident in the ATP rankings. Sinner, ranked second, is 5,000 points ahead of Zverev, ranked third, which is almost double Zverev’s tally. Whilst first placed Alcaraz is just shy of 1,000 points ahead of Sinner. There really are levels to this game.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have met 15 times on the professional tour, with Alcaraz emerging victorious 10–5. Despite their intense on-court battles, a great respect remains between the two players.

After his Wimbledon victory, Sinner thanked Alcaraz for being such a great player and encouraged him to keep pushing for more titles. Alcaraz reciprocated the sentiment, saying that he thought the rivalry between them was great for both of them and for tennis.

Ice vs fire, composure vs passion, methodical vs mercurial.

This intense rivalry will only make Alcaraz and Sinner even better as individuals and competitors. With each clash, the stakes are raised, pushing them beyond the limits we’ve ever seen in tennis. As spectators, we can only sit back and enjoy the show.