Genius versus consistency – Wimbledon is another showdown between the two best tennis players

Each reached the dream Wimbledon final in their own way. Carlos Alcaraz faced Taylor Fritz in a thrilling match. Alcaraz lost the second set and faced two more set points in the fourth tiebreak before finally ending the match reasonably early with four irresistible points in a row.

The Spaniard, as is often the case with him, repeatedly gave his opponent the stage, only to ultimately reclaim it all the more brilliantly. In between, there was still enough time to juggle the tennis ball with his foot a few times, leaving the impression that this 22-year-old jack-of-all-trades not only knows everything, but also has a blast doing it all.

A little later on Friday, Jannik Sinner came along and dispatched 24-time Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic with such a lack of humor, as if it were a formal changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The 23-year-old Italian embarked on a procession of perfect baseline tennis, only letting up after winning the match point. Who's going to stop a player like that? Perhaps Alcaraz.

The tennis world, barely recovering from its euphoric spasms during the Paris final, is getting the best therapy for possible withdrawal symptoms: the next edition of this epic-seeming antagonism. Sinner and Alcaraz have won the last six Grand Slams, three each; the rest of the professional circuit has long since become interchangeable.

Recently in Paris, the arena witnessed its most magnificent performance to date: After five and a half hours and three match points saved, Alcaraz triumphed in the "super tiebreak" of the fifth set. "I don't know if it can get any better this Sunday," said Sinner after reaching the Wimbledon final, "because I don't think it's possible."

Upon closer inspection, "Sincaraz," as the international media like to call it, thrives on numerous contradictions. Perhaps the most important one for a sporting rivalry: there's plenty of room for debate about who's better.

Sinner leads the world rankings, but Alcaraz has won his last five head-to-head matches. Sinner makes exceptional performances his everyday routine – at Wimbledon, he dropped only two sets on his way to the final, both in the round of 16 against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, when he injured his elbow in the very first game and had to be rescued from the retirement of his later even more seriously injured opponent.

Alcaraz lost more games in his first match than Sinner did in his first three matches, and a total of five sets. But experience shows that this only strengthens him for the decisive moments. The Spaniard has won all five Grand Slam finals of his career, including the last two at Wimbledon. "He's the favorite," says Sinner: "Very difficult to beat on grass, but I like challenges like that."

This attitude has always driven the South Tyrolean in life. Sinner is considered a rather serious, reflective person who has always strived for improvement. His ski coaches have said that Jannik asked a lot of questions and implemented everything immediately. The outdoorsy boy from Sexten, located at an altitude of 1,300 meters in the remotest part of the Puster Valley, also used to race – so well that he became Italian giant slalom champion as a child.

Tennis, on the other hand, was a real challenge. Due to the harsh mountain climate, his village only had one indoor court, so he moved on to the next town. Finally, at thirteen, he moved to an academy in Liguria, always one step ahead, always keeping his head on the ball, always ready for change. After the Paris final, Sinner dismissed his fitness coaches. Given a career record of 0-7 in matches lasting over four hours, there's clearly a need for more.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, has won 14 of his 15 five-set matches, an almost unrealistic average – especially for someone who should be physically demanding. The scion of a tennis family from Murcia in southeastern Spain indulges the pleasure principle and can only shine when he feels comfortable.

To do this, he not only needs the maximum presence of his family with his father, a professional coach, and three brothers who are also tennis enthusiasts – but also the occasional party trip to Ibiza: This is the image that his camp is also circulating, most recently through the Netflix three-part series "A mi manera" (In My Way).

On the surface, this explains the fluctuations that have so far prevented Alcaraz from achieving Sinner-like everyday dominance. The subtext sends a depressing message to his competitors: The guy doesn't live up to today's professional standards, yet he's still the king.

In terms of repertoire, Alcaraz is arguably the most complete top player ever. Add to that the brushstrokes of a genius and the mental strength to apply them when the going gets tough. "I'm impressed by his ability to win in so many different ways," said Fritz, after witnessing how the Spaniard not only pummeled him with his native topspin and his almost indecipherable drop shots, but also with incredibly sensitive volleys and a powerful serve.

"Jannik's shots are a bit straighter, and he's a bit easier to predict," compares Fritz, who is ranked fifth in the world. "It's a bit more difficult against Carlos because you never know what he's going to do." Who's going to stop this player? Sinner, perhaps. In Paris, he had a 5-3, 40-0 lead on Alcaraz's serve in the fourth set. A shot down the line instead of just out, and the match would have gone the other way.

Now the Italian has the chance to banish his demons at the earliest opportunity. "If Roland Garros was still on my mind, I wouldn't have made it to the final here," Sinner believes. Alcaraz also denies a psychological advantage: "Jannik is so good at learning from everything; I'm sure he did the same with the French Open final." The Spaniard calls Paris "the best match I've ever played." Sinner "pushes me to the limit, and I expect the same on Sunday."

Genius versus Constance: It's on to the next round.

An article from the « NZZ am Sonntag »