Sinner And Federer-Nadal Rivalry Is Something Alcaraz “Hopes To Have.”

There aren’t many rivalries in sports as great as the one between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who combined for 40 ATP Tour matches.

It was only appropriate that Carlos Alcaraz stepped up the discussion about reigniting a rivalry that may rival his own in terms of prominence and glitz on the 20th anniversary of their first-ever meeting at the Miami Open.

In March 2004, the legendary rivalry between the Swiss and the Spaniards began. In Key Biscayne, an 18-year-old, inexperienced Rafael Nadal, ranked 34th in the world, defeated Roger Federer, ranked first, in straight sets.

There were 39 additional encounters between Federer and Nadal, 24 of which were in the championship round. Although Nadal prevailed 24–16 in the head-to-head match, there had been a strong hint since their first encounter that their rivalry would define not just a period but the sport as a whole.

Twenty years later, people still see the developing competition between Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz as relevant. The two-year age difference between the two is one obvious distinction. Federer was at least five years older than Nadal, in comparison.