World number two Carlos Alcaraz faces number one-ranked star Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon today
Carlos Alcaraz is in yet another Grand Slam final today where he will take on the world’s top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner.
These two are really building up a rivalry for the ages, with a new era of the sport emerging from the shadows of retired greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and veteran Novak Djokovic.
At 38, the Serb is now very much in the twilight of his career but he sees a great future for the sport in Spaniard Alcaraz and Italian Sinner.
“They’re definitely great for tennis, both of them,” he said earlier this summer. “I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt.
“The way they are playing and approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers in the next years.”
Alcaraz has been in the Wimbledon showpiece final before, of course.
He is a two-time champion already at the age of 22, and he also scooped the French Open at Roland Garros earlier this summer against Sinner in a match which will go down in tennis folklore.
Alcaraz fought back to stun his opponent in Paris and will hope to do the same this afternoon.
There is £3million on the line for the winner, and should Alcaraz claim the trophy that sum would go some way to boost his considerable net worth.
He is reportedly now worth a cool £35million from his exploits on and off the court, with sponsorship deals including with kit maker Nike contributing to that pot, alongside tie-ups with Babolat, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein and BMW.
Away from the baseline, his personal life continues to make headlines, with rumours of a relations with Emma Raducanu ramping up significantly during Wimbledon fortnight.
The pair are set to be doubles partners at the US Open later this year and Brit Raducanu has been spotted taking in a number of Alcaraz’s games this summer.
Alcaraz beamed at Queen’s when asked about her: “I saw on social media she came up to watch my match. I’m just glad.
“I mean, I was focused on the match. I didn’t see her afterwards. I am just glad that she came to support me, to watch my match. Yeah, I think it was great having her in the stands.”
In June, they were reportedly seen arriving at the Kensington tournament “within minutes of each other”, sparking speculation around the nature of their relationship.
“Emma and Carlos’ friendship was the talk of Queen’s – people think there is something going on between them because they have such a spark,” a source told The Sun.
“He was apparently seen at her hotel last week and on Thursday and Saturday, when Emma went to support him, Emma’s car arrived just minutes after Carlos got to Queen’s with his team. Inside they were seen laughing and joking with one another. They seem very happy and relaxed with each other.”
Raducanu herself said recently: “We’re just good friends.”
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios then stirred the pot further, claiming the pair could part of a love triangle involving fellow Brit Jack Draper.
“I don’t know, I think it’s a love triangle,” Kyrgios told the reporters recently. “Draper, Alcaraz, Raducanu. They’re fighting over Raducanu I think, I’m not sure. I think (on) the outside (she looks happy), I don’t know who’s making her happy.”
Alcaraz has also been linked with Spanish student Maria Gonzalez Gimenez, who hails from his hometown in Spain.