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Spain's Carlos Alcaraz and Italy's Jannik Sinner have produced many mouthwatering clashes already, cementing their place as one of the most interesting rivalries to look forward to in the years to come. The pair's matches have all had neck-to-neck scorelines, leaving fans wondering until the last minute who will emerge victorious.
Before the 2023 BNP Paribas Open, the young players were tied 2-2 in their head-to-head, which has now turned 3-2 in favor of the Spaniard. Meeting in the semifinals in Indian Wells, Alcaraz prevailed 7-6(4), 6-3 in straight sets to book his place in the summit clash.
The pair last met at last year's US Open in the quarterfinals, where Alcaraz overcame Sinner in five sets in a match that lasted over five hours. Sinner, meanwhile, outclassed Alcaraz at Wimbledon last year in a four-set match in the Round of 16.
Apart from the quality of tennis produced, the pair also share mutual respect for each other, drawing comparisons to the legendary Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer -- who, besides being fierce competitors on the court, were great friends off it as well.
Tennis fans on Twitter almost unanimously agreed that 21-year-old Sinner and 19-year-old Alcaraz are capable of stitching together a rivalry to watch out for after watching their blockbuster Indian Wells clash.
"Is it a hot take to say that Alcaraz-Sinner is the best rivalry in the ATP right now?" Tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg tweeted.
"I demand that Sinner and Alcaraz play each other atleast 5 more times this year," another fan wrote.
See some more reactions to the Jannik Sinner - Carlos Alcaraz rivalry below:
Carlos Alcaraz to face Daniil Medvedev in the final at the BNP Paribas Open
Teen sensation Carlos Alcaraz reached the final of the Indian Wells Masters by taking down Italy's Jannik Sinner in the semifinal clash on Saturday, March 18. Alcaraz now faces Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the final, who defeated Frances Tiafoe in straight sets in his semifinal encounter.
Medvedev and Alcaraz have only clashed once before at the 2021 Wimbledon. The pair met in the second round, with the Russian dominating the Spaniard 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
Alcaraz is gunning for this third ATP 1000 Masters title at the Indian Wells Masters. His first ATP 1000 Masters title came at last year's Miami Open, where he defeated Norway's Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4 to become the youngest men's champion in the tournament's history.
He also won the Madrid Open last year, where he took down Germany's Alexander Zverev in the final 6-3, 6-1. On his way to clinching the trophy in Madrid, the young Spaniard became the first player ever to defeat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the same clay court tournament. He took down Nadal in the quarterfinals and Djokovic in the semifinals. Through his win, he once again became the youngest men's champion in the tournament's history.
