On an unremarkable clay tennis court docket in the Spanish metropolis of Alicante, watched on by solely a handful of spectators, two youngsters swipe the ball to 1 another with stunning vigor, belying their scrawny, adolescent frames.
The ages of every participant – one 17, the opposite simply 15 – counsel that that is in contrast to most different matches on the ATP’s Challenger Tour, a stepping-stone circuit for these seeking to be a part of tennis’ elite.
Over the course of three back-and-forth units, it’s the youthful protagonist who emerges victorious after an hour and 50 minutes. His title is Carlos Alcaraz, and his opponent? Another future world No. 1 named Jannik Sinner.
This match passed off greater than six years in the past, the primary assembly of a rivalry which now seems destined to outline the present period of men’s tennis.
“The match was a rollercoaster for us,” Alcaraz told NCS Sports final 12 months about his recollections of dealing with Sinner for the primary time – an applicable precursor for what was to return. This rivalry has already seen extra ups and downs and twists and turns than anybody in that thinly populated crowd may have imagined on the time.
“After the match, we went to the same locker room because I wanted to get to know him,” Sinner mentioned in the identical interview final 12 months. “He was just an amazing talent already back in the day. You could see straight away that he was a very, very special player.”
Alcaraz and Sinner, a duo now affectionately dubbed “Sincaraz” by followers, have met 14 instances on the principle ATP Tour since then, almost at all times in high-stakes semifinals and finals.