Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz's ice bath chat as Wimbledon stars proven spot on

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's prophetic words about their blossoming rivalry from 2022 became reality as the duo clashed in a spectacular Wimbledon final. It was Sinner who emerged victorious in Sunday's epic encounter, claiming his maiden SW19 crown with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over the defending champion.

This marked the second straight Grand Slam showdown between the tennis titans, followingAlcaraz's remarkable fightback at Roland Garros last month. The pair have long been touted as the sport's next great rivalry in the wake of the legendary Roger Federer, Rafael NadalandNovak Djokovic era.

Sinner and Alcaraz's relentless battles on tennis's grandest stages were actually foretold by the players themselves after their inaugural major meeting. Back in 2022, when they first squared off at the All England Club, Sinner - then aged 20 - defeated his 19-year-old Spanish opponent in four sets to reach the quarter-finals, reports the Express.

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At that point, both players had yet to claim their first Grand Slam, with Sinner later disclosing he had chatted with Alcaraz during an ice bath session throughout their Wimbledon campaign.

"I think what we showed today, it's a great level of tennis, great attitude from both of us," the Italian reflected after his triumph, before weighing in on whether they could mirror the Nadal-Federer dynamic. He continued: "Hopefully this is going to be the case, but we never know.

"There are still so many other players who are playing incredible tennis. For sure, we are the two youngest at the moment, so let's see. I don't know in the future what's going to happen. Yeah, I think it's just great for tennis to have also some new names, new players."

Reflecting on his 2022 loss, Alcaraz shared his aspirations of a long-standing rivalry with Sinner, whom he revealed he gets along with well. "Well, I mean I am always trying to be a good person first and then a good athlete. We have a good relationship," the Spaniard confessed.

"I'm going to try to be one of the best tennis players in the world for many years. Obviously, Jannik is one of the best tennis players in the world as well. For sure he's going to be in the top for many years. I hope to have a good rivalry with him. We hope to fight for the best tournaments in the world and the best moment in the world together."

As their rivalry has intensified, Alcaraz has distanced himself somewhat despite admitting that they get on well - which was even more evident after the Wimbledon final on Sunday - and that the pair share a mutual respect for each other. The Spaniard, however, recently admitted that he couldn't be close friends with Sinner.

He said: "I haven't spoken to him during his disqualification. Everyone looks out for themselves. We are not very close. In the end we are also rivals and I can't have a close friendship with a person I want to beat."

Sinner's recent win marked his fourth Grand Slam final in succession, maintaining a winning streak he shares with Alcaraz in majors since 2024, with the pair sharing nine major titles so far in their careers.

The pair have been dubbed the future of tennis, with many now backing them to battle it out for plenty more major titles down the line and establish a great rivalry like Djokovic, Nadal and Federer had in their heyday.

As the current US Open champion, Sinner is poised to potentially match Djokovic's 2023 feat of clinching three Grand Slam titles within a single year heading into Flushing Meadows next month, following his victory at the Australian Open earlier this year.