World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz recently floated the idea of teaming up with archrival Jannik Sinner to take on top-ranked padel duo Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion made the remark during his visit to the Miami P1 padel tournament, days after his exit from the 2026 Miami Open. Sinner has now responded to the suggestion, making his stance clear.
Jannik Sinner Reacts to Carlos Alcaraz’s Padel Team-Up Proposal
Alcaraz most recently competed at the 2026 Miami Open as the top seed. He opened his campaign with a solid 6-4, 6-4 win over João Fonseca but suffered a surprise 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 defeat to home favorite Sebastian Korda, bringing his run to an abrupt end. The loss also dashed the Spaniard’s hopes of finishing the Sunshine Double on a strong note.
Meanwhile, Sinner appears firmly on course to complete the Sunshine Double, having already lifted the Indian Wells Masters title earlier this month. In Miami, he has cruised past Damir Džumhur, Corentin Moutet, and Alex Michelsen before delivering another commanding 6-2, 6-2 win to dispatch Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals and seal his place in the last four.
While Sinner powered into the semifinals at the Miami Open, Alcaraz remained in the city and attended the Miami P1 padel tournament. During his visit, the Spaniard was asked how he and Sinner would match up against the top-ranked duo of Arturo Coello and Agustín Tapia, who share the World No. 1 spot in the International Padel Federation rankings.
“In Padel or Tennis? In Padel, obviously us! No doubt,” he said.
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The World No. 1’s remarks were later relayed to his Italian rival during a post-match interview with Steve Weissman on Tennis Channel. Sinner humorously admitted he isn’t strong in padel and praised Alcaraz’s exceptional versatility across sports like tennis, golf, and padel.
“If he says so, he needs to run and play for both [of us] because me and padel, I’m not great! But we all know what Carlos is capable of doing in every sport. He’s playing good golf, good padel, obviously an amazing tennis player,” he said.
Although Sinner preferred to leave padel to Alcaraz, he offered to contribute to another sport instead. Before focusing on tennis, he had been one of Italy’s top junior skiers. “Skiing, I do for both [of us],” he added.
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Nonetheless, Sinner’s focus is now fully on moving a step closer to the Miami Open crown. In the semifinals, he will face World No. 4 Alexander Zverev in their 12th career meeting.
The Italian enters the clash with confidence, holding a 7-4 head-to-head advantage and having won their previous six encounters in a row. Even the PFSN simulator favors him with a 78% chance of advancing to the final.
