Are Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on a collision course in Qatar?
The pair, seeded first and second at the event, are the clear favourites for the Qatar Open title – and their chances increased following the withdrawal of Alexander Bublik on Monday.
Alcaraz has never won the event, last reaching the quarter-finals in 2025. In fact, neither Sinner nor Alcaraz have ever reached the final in Doha.
Sinner has already advanced at the event after defeating Tomas Machac on Monday. Alcaraz is set to play his first-round match against Arthur Rinderknech on Monday.
If Alcaraz and Sinner do reach the final in Doha, the Spaniard could have one key advantage over the Italian.
Carlos Alcaraz likes to play in windy conditions
The conditions in Qatar are certainly blustery, as illustrated during Jannik Sinner’s recent practice session with Arthur Fils.
As shown in the clip on X, the ball can be seen moving significantly during the rallies, swinging back and forth while the two players attempted to strike the ball.
After defeating Machac on Monday, Sinner spoke about the difficulty of playing in windy conditions.
“I think it was an excellent performance,” Sinner told Sky Sports Italy. “Obviously, it’s very windy today, it was very difficult to find a good rhythm, but I started very well.
“I started very, very aggressively, right on the return. I served very well today, so I think today was a positive day. Obviously, now we’ll have to see what the conditions are like in the next few days, with the wind and the heat, it was a bit cooler.
“So, based on that, we’ll see then I’ll try to adapt, but I started very well this week and now I have a very, very difficult test ahead of me, but today was also… he was a very tough opponent, very difficult, so I’m happy.”
While Sinner is certainly far from a poor outdoor player, he clearly struggles more with the wind and other weather conditions more than Carlos Alcaraz.
This was demonstrated at the Australian Open when Sinner was saved by the heat rule midway through his third-round match against Elliot Spizzirri.
As for Carlos Alcaraz, he enjoys playing in the wind, as he conveyed to the Tennis Channel in March last year after defeating Grigor Dimitrov in Indian Wells.
“I always say that I like playing with wind, with these conditions,” said Alcaraz. “I think I adapt really well.
“I think to play with such a huge wind is to believe in your physical conditions and to believe that you’re going to reach every ball. That’s what I thought in the match.
“I think Grigor plays more aggressively with less time, so I think that’s why I adapt much better in these conditions in today’s match.”
If conditions continue to be windy in Qatar, Alcaraz may well have the upper hand against Sinner, should they meet in the final.
Alcaraz’s other advantage
Having played once before in Qatar at the 2025 event, Alcaraz will be familiar with the conditions in the Qatari capital.
As for Sinner, he is making his debut at the event.
Despite playing on the Tour for the best part of seven years, Sinner has never competed in Doha. He may well have competed in the 2025 event, if not for his three-month suspension from the Tour.
Sinner is heading into the 2026 tournament with little to no prior experience to draw from when he steps onto court.
Alcaraz, on the other hand, can use all he has learned from the 2025 event to aid his progress in 2026.