'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jannik Sinner's interaction with a ball girl during a rain delay at his semifinal match against Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells amused tennis fans.
Sinner's 19-match winning streak and the perfect 16-0 start to the 2024 season came to an end at the hands of defending champion Alcaraz after the Spaniard defeated the Italian 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 in two hours and five minutes to move into the finals at the BNP Paribas Open.
The match was however interrupted by light rainfall, causing a temporary pause. After a brief break, the players returned to the court, only to be forced back to the locker room due to more rain. This delay lasted nearly three hours in total.
During the initial rain showers, the players remained courtside, waiting for the weather to clear. Ball kids approached the players with umbrellas to shield them from the rain.
The ball girl assigned to Jannik Sinner did not have to stand with the umbrella as the World No. 3 graciously invited her to sit beside him to protect herself from the rain.
They also had a little conversation where Sinner asked the girl about her ball girl duties which was also captured by the cameras.
Sinner's chivalrous gesture towards the ball girl was appreciated by the tennis fans while his interaction with the ball girl amused the tennis fans. They took to social media to share their opinion on the same.
One fan humorously pointed out that Sinner's chivalrous act of holding the umbrella made Carlos Alcaraz look bad for not doing the same.
"Lol he’s making Alcaraz looks bad 🤣 ," the fan posted on Reddit.
Another fan likened the interaction between Jannik Sinner and the ball girl to a "first date."
"Major awkward first date energy from that "conversation" lol. Amazing," the fan posted.
One fan pointed out that the World no. 3 seemed genuinely interested in hearing about the ball girls' duties.
"But then he started talking to her about her ball girl duties, seemed genuinely interested 😂 I think he’s very shy hahaha," another fan posted.
Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:
Jannik Sinner on his loss to Carlos Alcaraz: "Playing against him, it's always tough"
At the post match press conference following his win over Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner gave his thoughts on the match. He stated that playing against the Spaniard is "always tough" and admitted that a few errors on his part allowed Alcaraz to seize momentum and secure the win.
"It's for sure not the ending that I wanted, but, you know, playing against him, it's always tough. I tried to, yeah, to play obviously good tennis, which I have done, especially the first set. Then I made a couple of mistakes. You know, the momentum has changed. He raised his level," Jannik Sinner said.
Sinner also expressed his disappointment in the defeat, emphasizing that it was a "tough one to swallow." However, he revealed that he is now looking forward to playing at the Miami Open.
"Obviously tough one to swallow, but, you know, hopefully we will see in the next days if physically I will be good for Miami, which is for me personally the most important. And I'm really happy that, you know, for him because he's a really great player, good guy," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
