Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Indian Wells Masters. Before their final four matches, the World No. 1 spoke about his training sessions and the instructions from his physiotherapist, Juanjo Moreno, which he has been following. Meanwhile, Sinner also opened up about his warm-up routine.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner Discuss Juggling in Their Training Routines
Alcaraz and Sinner are the top two seeds at the Indian Wells Masters, and they began their campaigns in the second round after receiving first-round byes. Alcaraz secured his spot in the semifinals by defeating Grigor Dimitrov, 26th seed Arthur Rinderknech, 13th seed Casper Ruud, and 27th seed Cameron Norrie.
Meanwhile, Sinner eliminated qualifier Dalibor Svrčina in his opening match, then overcame Denis Shapovalov and João Fonseca in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. He advanced to the semifinals by defeating the 25th seed, Learner Tien, in the quarterfinals.
During the post-match press conference following his win over Norrie, Alcaraz was asked about juggling during warm-ups before his matches. He explained that he juggles because his physiotherapist, Moreno, asked him to do it, and he simply “obeys” his instructions.
The Spaniard said he is unsure whether juggling is beneficial, but since everything has gone well since he started incorporating it into his warm-up routine, he has decided not to change it.
“Well, honestly, it’s because my physio told me to do it. And I just obey, obey him (smiling). So I don’t know if it’s helpful or not, but I took it as a routine. Everything went well since I started to do it, so why sort of change. So I just keep it like that, and if my physio says it or I need to do it, I just, I’m gonna do it, for sure,” Alcaraz said.
Meanwhile, Sinner, during his post-match press conference following his quarterfinal win, was also asked if he juggles during his warm-up. He responded that he does indeed juggle and that he and his team try to mix up his training routine. He mentioned that despite knowing how to juggle, he does it occasionally, depending on how he feels before a match.
“Yeah, I mean, we try to mix it up. I know how to juggle, but I do normal warmups, you know. Everywhere it’s different. I saw some players, they do a lot of playing and juggling. Me, depends how I feel before the match,” Sinner said.
In addition to his singles campaign, Sinner also participated in the doubles event at the 2026 Indian Wells Masters alongside Reilly Opelka. They received a wildcard entry into the main draw but lost to the top-seeded pair, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, in the first round.
Semifinal Opponents for Alcaraz and Sinner at Indian Wells
Looking ahead, Alcaraz and Sinner are set to face Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, respectively, in the semifinals of the 2026 Indian Wells Masters. Medvedev has previously faced the Spaniard twice at Tennis Paradise, in the 2023 and 2024 finals, finishing as the runner-up both times.
Medvedev advanced to the semifinals by defeating Alejandro Tabilo, Sebastián Báez, Alex Michelsen, and defending champion Jack Draper. Meanwhile, Zverev secured his final four spot by overcoming Matteo Berrettini, Brandon Nakashima, Frances Tiafoe, and Arthur Fils.
Alcaraz and Medvedev have faced each other eight times on the ATP Tour, with the Spaniard winning six of those encounters. Their most recent matchup was in the semifinals of the 2024 China Open, where Alcaraz won 7-5, 6-3.
On the other hand, Sinner and Zverev have met 10 times on the ATP Tour, with Sinner winning six of those matches. Their last encounter took place at the 2025 ATP Finals, where Sinner emerged victorious, 6-4, 6-3.
