"Iga Swiatek being cute with Carlos Alcaraz"; "She didn't ignore him" - Fans amused by defending champs' luncheon "date" at Indian Wells

Tennis fans recently reacted to Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz attending 'The Champions' Luncheon' in Indian Wells. Last year, Swiatek won the BNP Paribas Open by defeating Maria Sakkari in the final, while Alcaraz won the title by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the championship match.

Defending champions Swiatek and Alcaraz joined several members of the media and tournament officials for the luncheon to mark the beginning of the tournament. The players collaborated with Porta Via, a California-style bistro and bar, to curate signature dishes for the event held in Stadium 1.

Pictures of Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz at the luncheon drew various reactions from tennis fans, who took to social media to share their thoughts on the same

One fan expressed that they found Swiatek's interactions with Alcaraz "cute."

"Iga being cute with Carlitos hahaha," a fan posted.

While another fan joked that the images made it seem like the two former World No.1 players were on a "date."

"This time she didn't ignore him 😂 😁 ," a fan wrote.

"Wait…. it looks like a date lmao 😭 ," a fan posted.

"First date vibes 😍 ," a fan wrote.

Here are some other fan reactions:

"Both their fits are eating idc," a fan posted.

"Beautiful people," a fan posted.

Both Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are seeded second at Indian Wells this year. In 2024, Swiatek defeated the likes of Danielle Collins, Linda Noskova, Yulia Putintseva, Caroline Wozniacki, Marta Kostyuk, and ultimately Maria Sakkari in the final to win the BNP Paribas Open.

On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz triumphed over Matteo Arnaldi, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Fabian Marozsan, Alexander Zverev, Jannik Sinner, and eventually Daniil Medvedev in the final to secure the Indian Wells Masters title.

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Who will Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz face in their opening matches at Indian Wells this year?

Iga Swiatek & Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Arthur Ashe Kids' Day [Image Source: Getty Images]

Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz are both seeded at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and they will begin their campaign in the second round after being granted a first-round bye.

Iga Swiatek will face Caroline Garia in her opening match. Garcia defeated wild card Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the WTA 1000 hard court tournament in California to advance to the second round where she will face the former World No.1.

Swiatek and Garcia have faced each other five times on the WTA Tour, with the Pole emerging victorious in four of those encounters. Their most recent clash was at the 2024 United Cup saw, where Swiatek triumphed over the Frenchwoman 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. The winner of the match between Swiatek and Garcia will go on to face 32nd seed Ons Jabeur or Dayana Yastremska in the third round.

Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz will take on either Quentin Halys or Spanish qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta in his opening match at the 2025 Indian Wells Masters. Alcaraz has never faced Halys on the ATP Tour, therefore their potential second round match-up will be the first time that the two players will face each other.

In contrast, Alcaraz has faced his compatriot, Pablo Carreno Busta, twice on the ATP Tour and has won both those matches. They last faced each other in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Swiss Indoors which the former World No.1 won 6-3, 6-4.