Carlos Alcaraz is back at his best. In difficulty since the start of the season, without a title and eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open by Alexander Zverev, the Spaniard won this Sunday evening against Daniil Medvedev to retain his title at Indian Wells ( 7-6, 6-1). Before this final, the world No. 2 had already eliminated Jannik Sinner in the semi-final after a fantastic third set (1-6, 6-3, 6-2).
The Murcian only trembled at the start of the match. Shy, perhaps slightly stressed, he conceded his throw-in at the start of the match, before setting the record straight. Taken to the tie-break by Daniil Medvedev as combative as ever, he concluded the first set on his first set point. The second round was just a formality. Much stronger than the Russian, the Spaniard broke twice and quietly confirmed his victory on his serve.
🏆 The champion at Indian Wells is 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐳 👏
The Spaniard, defending champion, once again beat Medvedev in the final (7-6, 6-1) to claim his fifth Masters 1000 and his first title since Wimbledon! #IndianWells #HomeOfTennis pic.twitter.com/QFTYdCs3cX
— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) March 17, 2024
Thanks to this victory, Carlos Alcaraz won his 5th title in a Masters 1000. He notably won the Indian Wells tournament last year, already against Daniil Medvedev in a one-sided final (6-3, 6 -2). He then won his second Grand Slam title, at Wimbledon, against Novak Djokovic.
However, his start to the season was delicate. At the Australian Open, the Spaniard could not resist the power of Alexander Zverev, and lost in the quarter-finals. In Buenos Aires, he was surprisingly surprised by Nicolás Jarry, before retiring after just two games against Thiago Monteiro in Rio de Janeiro, suffering from an ankle injury.
As usual, Carlos Alcaraz returned from this injury at his best level. During this first Masters 1000 of the season, he notably beat Félix Auger-Aliassime, Alexander Zverev and his great rival, the Italian Jannik Sinner. This semi-final smelled like powder. Undefeated since November 19, the world No. 3 finally gave in, letting the Spaniard race towards the title.
