Carlos Alcaraz has played down the idea of delving into the dark arts with Jannik Sinner in spite of their growing rivalry on the big stage.
Alcaraz and Sinner have met in each of the last two grand slam finals this season, with the Spaniard prevailing at the French Open before the Italian got his revenge at Wimbledon.
Sinner's victory at SW19 was his first win over Alcaraz in six attempts and his fifth overall, with the Roland-Garros champion winning eight of their 13 meetings.
Although either of the pair have won each of the last seven grand slam titles, Alcaraz believes it is important to know where to draw the line between competitor and friend.
"Trash-talking gets a lot of attention," said Alcaraz. "People really like the idea that there is friction between us.
"That's what sells, but although tennis is an individual sport, we are with the same players every week, day in and day out.
"Jannik and I, who have had great battles on the court, see each other a lot off of it.
"We talk, we train together sometimes. And in the end, you forge a good relationship, a beautiful relationship.
"We want to win and beat each other, but then off court, being good people and getting along is another matter. For me, that is one of the virtues and values of sport."
"This rivalry [with Sinner] is coming better and better, and I’m really grateful for that because it gives me the opportunity to give my 100% in every practice, every day just to be better. Because the level I have to maintain just to beat Jannik is really high."
