March 15, (THEWILL)- Carlos Alcaraz faces a daunting task against red-hot Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Masters on Saturday.
The 20-year-old Spaniard is chasing his first title since his Wimbledon triumph over Novak Djokovic in July 2023, but Sinner has been unstoppable this year.
The 22-year-old Italian has won 19 consecutive matches dating back to the Davis Cup finals in 2023. His perfect 16-0 record in 2024 includes his maiden Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and the Rotterdam trophy last month. Victory over Alcaraz would see Sinner rise to a career-high world number two ranking on Monday.
“He’s the best tennis player in the world right now, without a doubt. He’s playing unbelievable,” admitted Alcaraz after dispatching Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 in the quarter-finals. The defending champion has regained form after an ankle injury, reaching the semis without dropping a set.
Sinner has also been equally impressive, not conceding a set en route to the last four. The Italian leads their head-to-head 4-3 after winning their last two meetings. “Carlos, it’s always fun to play with him. We are good friends off the court. On the court, we just try to give 100 percent,” said Sinner.
The victor will face either fourth seed Daniil Medvedev or American Tommy Paul in Sunday’s final. Medvedev is feeling fitter than in 2023 when he twisted his ankle but still made the final before losing to Alcaraz.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
