Wimbledon the ideal arena for Alcaraz-Sinner rematch

A matter of hours after Friday's draw at Wimbledon, practice sessions were in full swing across the All England Club.

- KIERAN JACKSON AT WIMBLEDON

Just before 1pm, spotted by an eagle-eyed reporter in the media centre, were the top two players in the men's game: chatting, laughing even, in genuine joviality side-by-side as they walked to their respective courts south of the grounds.

It might seem somewhat odd that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were in conversation, in such a relaxed manner, just a few days out from the third Grand Slam of the year. After all, it was only three weeks ago that the Spaniard fought back from the brink to defeat the world No 1 in the final at Roland Garros, winning one of the greatest matches of all time.

As such, you'd think Sinner would be sick of the sight of his Spanish adversary. Apparently not. This blossoming, intoxicating rivalry on the court takes place in an environment of impressive mutual respect. In fact, their genuine admiration for one another is as authentic as their will to win on court.

Alcaraz, by virtue of his superior head-to-head record over Sinner (8-4 - and Sinner has not beaten him since 2023) and his two previous titles in SW19, is the clear favourite heading into Wimbledon 2025. The Spaniard is on a sensational 18-match winning streak and has not lost a match since 20 April. Unequivocally, he is the man to beat.

Yet Sinner's dominance for the vast majority of the five-and-a-half hour epic in Paris should give the Italian a huge amount of confidence and belief, should the pair meet in a fortnight on Centre Court. It is the final showdown that the whole world wants to see again. And Wimbledon is desperate for top billing in the Alcaraz-Sinner arms race.