Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner square off on Saturday in Indian Wells for a berth in the BNP Paribas Open final; the Spaniard refers to the most recent Grand Slam victor as the best in the world at the moment.
After winning his first victory since Wimbledon in July of last year, Alcaraz may not have found much consistency, but on Thursday in Indian Wells, he looked back to his best as he defeated Alexander Zverev and a swarm of bees to go to the semi-finals.
Alcaraz, the two-time Grand Slam champion, has only dropped one set on his way to the final four, but Sinner is playing at his best.
Winner of the Australian Open Sinner defeated Jiri Lehecka to extend his winning streak from 2024 to 16 matches.
“Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to approach the match,” Alcaraz said. “He’s without a doubt the best tennis player in the world at the moment. He is performing brilliantly; he hasn’t lost all year. It’s a lot of fun to watch him play.
“This will be a really challenging game. Seeing where I stand in comparison to him will be a significant challenge for me.”
Alcaraz warmed up at Indian Wells and displayed his exceptional football talents.
Alcaraz has triumphed in ten straight Indian Wells matches. He is into his eighth Masters 1000 semifinal match, where he will take on Sinner. In four of their seven matches, Sinner has defeated the two-time major winner.
“I have to somewhat modify my game after losing the last two matches I played against him. We’ll see how it goes. It’s going to be the hardest match I play this year, for sure,” Alcaraz remarked.
However, Sinner believes he has the return abilities in his toolbox to help him maintain his 4-3 advantage in their meetings with the Spaniard.
“Yes, Carlos, playing with him is always enjoyable. Outside of the court, we get along well. We just try to give it our all on the court,” the Italian stated.
“I believe our demeanor on the floor is positive. The matches are usually good. I had a lot of trouble last year against him, especially on this court. He performed far better than I did, so let’s see. Two weeks later, I played him in Miami and won.
After the Alcaraz vs. Sinner match, Daniil Medvedev, who advanced to his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final since Rome in May, will face home favorite and 17th seed Tommy Paul.
“Tommy is quite powerful. With respect to world No. 12 Paul, whom he has defeated in both of their encounters, “He has been [near] the top 10 for a long time,” stated Medvedev.
“He’s playing good so that I know if I want to try to win, I need to be at my absolute best and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Cahill on good and respectful rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner
The Australian Open champion Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, stated, “This is why you train, this is why you play.”
“Two fantastic youngsters who excel both on and off the court. They truly are friends. Regardless of who wins, you will notice that they both appreciate and respect each other on the court.
“This is just another chapter in the rivalry between these two men, who will play a lot together over the next ten years.
“Jannik is keen to watch Carlos’ matches because in a way he was the trailblazer after winning a Grand Slam first.”
