"You deserved the win as well" – Carlos Alcaraz commends arch-rival Jannik Sinner on the hard-fought US Open quarterfinal

Carlos Alcaraz has acknowledged arch-rival Jannik Sinner’s blistering effort in their US Open quarterfinal thriller that went in the Spaniard’s favor.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battled it out in a highly anticipated US Open clash that concluded in the wee hours of Thursday. The duo engaged in a strenuous affair at Arthur Ashe Stadium that lasted more than five hours and turned out to be the second-longest match in US Open history.

Carlos Alcaraz came out on top in the encounter after a five-set win, 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3. Alcaraz showed immense mental strength to keep going even while facing a match point in the fourth set.

The teenager was ecstatic about the monumental win, but credited Jannik Sinner for bringing out the best in him. He confidently voiced that their rivalry will continue to grow.

“What can I say? US OPEN SEMIFINALS! Incredible battle (Jannik Sinner)! You really forced me to improve, and I'm sure we'll have many more matches in the future!” Alcaraz said.

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, was left broken-hearted by the narrow defeat. He, however, appreciated the crowd that stayed up late into the night to make for an unforgettable experience. The 21-year-old congratulated his colleague on the tremendous battle and wished him luck in his next matches.

“I Ieft everything out there last night, but it wasn’t meant to be. The atmosphere and support was something special that I’ll never forget. This one hurts, but we get back to work and onto the next. Carlos Alcaraz, congrats, it was an incredible battle! Good luck for the rest of the tournament,” said the Italian.

Carlos Alcaraz responded with words of appreciation for his compeer, saying that Sinner was equally deserving of the win. He emphasized that this was just the beginning of their great rivalry.

“You deserved the win as well!! Many more to come, always good to play against you,” Alcaraz asserted.

Carlos Alcaraz will now face American home-favorite Frances Tiafoe for a spot in the final at the US Open.

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How is the Jannik Sinner – Carlos Alcaraz rivalry shaping up?

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have undoubtedly gained great traction in recent months. The pair, who still fall into the Next-Gen category, with Sinner aged 21 and Alcaraz aged 19, have already achieved splendid success in their young careers.

Jannik Sinner has six titles to his name, his latest coming at the Croatia Open this year, where he outclassed Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion.

Carlos Alcaraz, meanwhile, has collected five titles, two of them being Masters 1000s, earned in Miami and Madrid this year.

The two have been regularly making deep runs at Grand Slams for a while now. The Italian first made the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2020. He has since reached three other quarterfinals in 2022, at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

The Spaniard, meanwhile, made his first quarterfinal appearance at last year’s US Open and has bettered the result this year by reaching his first ever Grand Slam semifinal. He also reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 French Open.

After their US Open quarterfinal match, Sinner and Alcaraz are tied in their tour-level head-to-head record at 2-2. Alcaraz came out on top at the 2021 Paris Masters and most recently the 2022 US Open. Sinner, meanwhile, outsmarted the young Spaniard twice in 2022 at Wimbledon and the Croatia Open.

Speaking about their rivalry, the 19-year-old said that they will emmulate the competitiveness of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, while still being great friends off the court.

“I'm gonna push myself to be a better player, to try to beat him, and I think for him it will be the same. I will push him to be a better player as Djokovic, Rafa and Federer did when they were younger. It's going to be a great rivalry and of course, we are great friends outside of the court," Alcaraz said.

Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule