Posted by Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday October 4, 2024
Jannik Sinner again Carlos Alcaraz he just played one of the best games of 2024 in the final in Beijing, and the rivals could meet again in Shanghai, where they are expected to meet in the semifinals if the seeds are tied.
Soni says that’s fine with him, and he admits that he’s always thinking about what he can do better to beat his rival, the man who knocked him down all three times they met in 2024.
“It’s exciting that we are rivals on the court and friends off the court,” Sinner told ATP Media. “I feel like – at least from my side – he pushes me to do better. I wake up in the morning and try to understand what I can do better, I try to beat him next time, which is good for me as a player.”
“I feel that outside the court we are the same because we surround ourselves with those close to us, we like to stay with the team. There are many similarities.”
Soni will face Taro Daniel in his first match in Shanghai on Saturday. Alcaraz will face rising Chinese Shang Juncheng in the eighth Masters 1000 event of 2024.
In court, Sinner acknowledges the difference between the two stars, and adds that he can learn from watching how Alcaraz does his business.
“On the court, we’re different,” Sinner said. “He’s the one who brings the fireworks, the hot guns, he gets the crowd involved. He said to be different. I’m like a tough, calm player, so it’s a little bit like fire and ice, but it’s a good combination.
“It also shows that everyone is different. I believe that I have to take something from him as a player, try different shots sometimes, which I feel makes me grow as a player, but this takes time – we try to do it ourselves, to be ourselves on the field. .”
