Carlos Alcaraz has declared he will never be friends with Jannik Sinner as the pair prepare to face off in today's Wimbledon final.
The two-time defending champion made his stance clear ahead of their Centre Court showdown.
Alcaraz described his relationship with Sinner to Marca, one that draws parallels to that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in football.
"We are not very close. In the end we are also rivals and I can't have a close friendship with a person I want to beat," he said.
Carlos Alcaraz has revealed he is not friends with Jannik Sinner
Reuters
The 22-year-old Spaniard and 23-year-old Italian have dominated men's tennis over the past two years.
Their rivalry reached new heights at last month's French Open final, where Alcaraz triumphed in an epic five-hour encounter.
Alcaraz, though, notably did not contact Sinner during the Italian's three-month doping suspension, which ended in May, unlike other professionals within the sport.
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Jannik Sinner endured a three-month doping suspension after successfully appealing the decision
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Sinner had tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol but reached an agreement with WADA, claiming inadvertent contamination by a team member during a massage.
"I haven't spoken to him during his disqualification. Everyone looks out for themselves," Alcaraz explained.
Sinner expressed disappointment about the lack of support from certain players upon his return.
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"I received messages from players I didn't expect and I didn't receive anything from others I could expect something from."
Despite the competitive distance, Alcaraz maintains their relationship remains respectful: "I have great respect for him. What he is doing now after being out for three months is incredible.
"I was very happy to see him back on the circuit."
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Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's Wimbledon final
PAThe Spaniard explained their limited interactions to Sky Sports Tennis last year: "Once we are on tour, travelling, at tournaments, on site, we are with our teams and on our own, so we don't speak too much.
"But when we can, we talk a little bit besides tennis, about life. But not too much. It means we have a good relationship but we are not close friends."
Alcaraz's approach mirrors that of Novak Djokovic towards his greatest rivals.
The Serb, who plans to continue playing despite his dominating semi-final defeat to Sinner, once revealed similar sentiments about Rafael Nadal.
"Nadal is only a year older than me, we are both Geminis. At first we even went to dinner together, twice. But even with him, friendship is impossible," Djokovic told Corriere Della Sera.
He expressed comparable views about Roger Federer: "We have never been friends. Between rivals, it is not possible, but we have never been enemies."
Although, since the pair's retirement, Djokovic has seemingly enjoyed a closer relationship, even recently inviting Nadal to "margaritas on the beach".