Without the last serve challenges between Sinner and Alcaraz, tennis drops in TV ratings: 2026 data compared with last year
The rivalry between Sinner And Alcaraz (or Sincaraz, as it was pleasantly christened) had rekindled the flame of the passion for tennis, orphaned by those who are difficult not to consider the three strongest players of all time (Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal And Novak Djokovic). Yes, it’s true, we are still lucky enough to see Djokovic on the pitch, but it’s certainly not the Nole of the good times that were, and little by little his body is fading away. What is certain is that, from 2024, Jannik And Carlos they shared the rankings and major titles with remarkable balance, in a duel completely devoid of rivals of the same level on the circuit. Then, in the spring, the Spaniard’s wrist no longer allowed him to play, and with him the Sincaraz duel that was considered eternal ended.
In 2025 the two had faced each other six times, always in the final. This year, however, the only chapter arrived on April 12, in Monte Carlo: victory by Sinner with contour of overtaking in the ranking. Since then, Alcaraz he absconded. The Spaniard has been out of action since the Barcelona tournament (mid-April), and the date of his return continues to remain uncertain.
The collapse of TV ratings without Sinner-Alcaraz
Emptiness is perceived above all in front of the television screen. The challenge at the 2025 Italian Internationals Sinner–Alcaraz it had gathered 6 million viewers between Rai Uno and Sky; this year the final of Sinner against Ruud it stopped at 4.6 million between TV8 and Sky. At Roland Garros, the five and a half hour marathon between the two had 5 million people glued to the screen, between Nove and Eurosport; in 2026, the surprise final act between Cobolli And Zverev he brought just 3.7. Even at Wimbledon, it went from 5.7 million to Sinner–Alcaraz to 4.2 percent Sinner–Zverev. Numbers that are not surprising, but at the same time cannot help but make us reflect (and instill a bit of concern for the future of tennis).
In short, the two phenomena, playing against each other, are greatly missed by both fans and television revenues. A positive rivalry, which pushes both players to improve and which expresses the best sport can give to its protagonists and fans. We hope to see them back on the pitch soon.
