(Previous update after Rafa Nadal’s withdrawal)
MADRID, 7 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz hopes to recover his best tennis in the Indian Wells tournament, the first Masters 1,000 of the season, an event he arrives at after an irregular start to the year and with the obligation to defend his title and his status as number two in the world. .
The event in California (United States) of the so-called ‘fifth ‘Grand Slam’ is already underway waiting for its most notable protagonists, among them the Murcian, and finally, without Rafa Nadal who had to debut on Thursday against the Canadian Milos Raonic, but who has decided to retire because he does not feel “prepared.”
For his part, for Alcaraz, Indian Wells also comes as a test for his physique and his tennis. The Murcian was injured in his debut two weeks ago in Rio de Janeiro, a sprained ankle, but he recovered in time for the exhibition against Nadal himself in Las Vegas. The one from El Palmar, who overtook his compatriot in last Sunday’s show, defends his title in the Californian event.
2024 at the moment follows the line of the second part of last season for an Alcaraz that is hungry for new conquests since its epic title at Wimbledon. At 20 years old, the Murcian has already dazzled as a unique player, but he wants to take off again on a court where he left his mark a year ago.
His debut will be against the Italian Matteo Arnaldi, whom he beat in the last United States Open, and then he will have a complex path with possible rivals such as the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Russian Karen Kachanov or the Chilean Nicolás Jarry, his executioner in Buenos Aires, before reaching a theoretical rematch in the quarterfinals against the German Alexander Zverev and a possible semifinals against the toned Jannik Sinner.
The world number two, who lost in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open against Zverev and in the semifinals in Buenos Aires, where he was also defending his title, against Jarry, defends an Indian Wells that he won without giving up a single set. A performance of those that made him a rival to beat despite his youth, although there are still dangerous rivals every week, such as a tireless Novak Djokovic, or the thriving Jannik Sinner, who threatens his position in the ranking.
The Serbian returns to California five years later and in his second tournament of the season after losing in the semifinals of Australia against a Sinner who is now on the side of Alcaraz in the American team and boosted by the great form with which he finished 2023. ‘Nole’ once again wears the ‘Jackal’ suit with his 24 ‘grands’, but the Italian, undefeated in 2024 after also winning in Rotterdam, has already derailed him just like the Murcian.
Other candidates to shine in these two weeks are the Russian Daniil Medvedev, world number four who also had a physical setback in February, in addition to the German Alexander Zverev, the Russian Andrey Rublev or the Australian Alex de Minaur, who already know what it is to win in the little that is of the season.
2024-03-07 17:36:29
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