"Why wasn't Federer best man to Nadal?" - Fans irked by Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner relationship questions after 'not close friends' admission

Carlos Alcaraz recently admitted that he and rival Jannik Sinner share a healthy relationship but aren't the closest of friends. Alcaraz's admission sparked reactions from fans, who expressed their annoyance at questions about his and Sinner's relationship that reporters continue to field regularly.

Alcaraz and Sinner, widely regarded as the two players who will go on to dominate men's tennis in the coming years, played out a thrilling final at the 2024 China Open on Wednesday, October 2. The two went toe-to-toe and produced some memorable rallies before the Spaniard eventually got the better of the Italian with a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) win to clinch the ATP 500 event.

Shortly after the conclusion of the trophy presentation ceremony, the duo boarded the same flight to Shanghai, where they are set to kickstart their respective Rolex Shanghai Masters campaigns. At a pre-tournament press conference, Carlos Alcaraz was asked about his relationship with Jannik Sinner. The World No. 2 confessed that the pair's relationship is full of respect, but it is not one that close friends tend to share.

"We have a good relationship, but we are not close friends," Carlos Alcaraz said while giving his answer.

Alcaraz on relationship with Sinner: “… we have a good relationship, but we are Not close friends…” byu/nicoc9 intennis

Fans on Reddit were quick to express their annoyance at such questions being fielded to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. One fan cited the example of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's relationship. While the two great rivals shared mutual respect, their fierce competitiveness prevented them from sharing a deep, personal relationship.

"WHY WASN'T ROGER BEST MAN TO NADAL!?!? They are friendly colleagues/competitors, that's it and that's fine," the fan wrote.

Another fan opined that there's no necessity for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner to be close friends and suggested that reporters should refrain from asking such questions going forward.

"Why do people keep asking them this? I get it the first time but they've answered variations of this question countless times, move on they don't need to be best buddies," the fan stated.

Other fans soon weighed in with their respective opinions on the subject.

"Exactly! I mean they can just go on TennisTV or Tennis Channel to watched old interviews and know the answers. Jannik- Jack Draper is the person he is close with and they text each other. Carlos- Pablo (Carreno Busta) is the person he is close and trust on tour and he even said he feels hurt playing against a close friend," commented one fan.

"Yes Sinner is close to Jack (Draper) and Hubi (Hubert Hurkacz), Carlos has his own friends. He and Carlos get along and respect each other. They don’t have to be close at all costs," another chimed in.

"Yeah, I sometimes hang out with my work colleagues afterwards for a chat over drinks, doesn’t mean I’m buddies with them," yet another fan added.

"They aren't even colleagues really, it's like asking to two representatives of Microsoft and Apple if they are close friends outside of work. Like, they may be friendly towards each other, but I don't think they HAVE to be friends in life. Plus, they are rivals on their "market", they are competition to each other," weighed in one more fan.

Despite climbing to World No. 2 after his exploits at the China Open in Beijing, Carlos Alcaraz is seeded No. 3 in Shanghai. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner is the top seed at the ATP Masters 1000 event, which means that if the rivals do go on to lock horns again in Shanghai, they will do so in the semifinals.

Carlos Alcaraz to start Rolex Shanghai Masters campaign with second-round match against Shang Juncheng

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates winning a point during the 2024 China Open men's singles final against Jannik Sinner (Source: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz has been drawn against 19-year-old Shang Juncheng in the second round of the 2024 Rolex Shanghai Masters. Alcaraz received a first-round bye owing to his No. 3 seeding at the event. If the Spaniard registers a win over Shang, he will go on to face either another Chinese in Wu Yibing or 25th seed Nicolas Jarry in the third round.

Meanwhile, top seed Jannik Sinner is slated to get the ball rolling in Shanghai with a second-round encounter against Japan's Taro Daniel. Provided the Italian comes out on top against the Japanese, he will set up a third-round clash against either Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp or Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.

If Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner do meet in the semifinals in Shanghai, it would mark their eleventh ATP Tour-level matchup. The Spaniard currently leads the Italian 6-4 in their head-to-head, and has won all the three matches they have played against each other so far this season.