Carlos Alcaraz has once again clinched victory at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, successfully defending his title against Daniil Medvedev in straight sets. The 20-year-old Spaniard, ranked number two globally, triumphed over Medvedev, the fourth-ranked player from Russia, with scores of 7-6 (7-5) and 6-1, mirroring their showdown from the previous year. This victory marks Alcaraz’s first title since his Wimbledon win in July.
After grappling with an ankle injury that forced him to withdraw from the Rio Open last month, Alcaraz returned to Indian Wells with determination. Despite initial doubts about his performance due to the injury, he spoke about his strong connection to the tournament and the challenges he faced, “I remember my first practice here was just 30 minutes with no movement, and probably the first practice with really good tennis players was really tough for me because I thought I was not going to play my best.”
This win marks Alcaraz’s 13th career title, a significant achievement that positions him as the first player since Novak Djokovic’s consecutive victories from 2014 to 2016 to secure back-to-back Indian Wells titles.