Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner clash has more than final spot on the line at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will headline their first battle of 2024 and compete for a spot in the Indian Wells final. However, the winner will not only claim victory but also the world No. 2 ranking.

At the moment, Alcaraz sits at second place in the ATP Ranking, but he hasn't defended many points in recent months and arrived at Tennis Paradise with the aim of defending his title. In the live rankings, Sinner currently ranks above Alcaraz in the second spot, but a win for the Spaniard would allow him to stay ahead of Sinner in the next ranking update.

Alcaraz has been in the top 2 since winning the 2022 US Open title, alternating between the top spot with Novak Djokovic and has spent a total of 36 weeks as world No. 1. On the other hand, the Italian's best ranking is No. 3, which he has held for just a week before Indian Wells.

Sinner boasts a 16-0 record in 2024 and is the most recent Australian Open champion, making him the favorite for this encounter. The Italian leads 4-3 in the head-to-head against Alcaraz and has won their last two meetings. Additionally, both young stars met at the same stage of the Indian Wells semifinals last year, where Carlitos emerged victorious.

So far, both have showcased great tennis in California. Alcaraz only dropped a set against Matteo Arnaldi in a tie-breaker, but he then went on to win his next 8 sets consecutively against his opponents in the tournament, not conceding more than 3 games in any set.

Sinner's tournament has also been dominant; he hasn't dropped a set and doesn't seem to have faced any difficulties against any opponent, carrying a streak of 14 consecutive sets won since he last lost to Gael Monfils over a month ago at the Rotterdam Open.