Alcaraz beats Medvedev to retain Indian Wells title

Carlos Alcaraz is back in top form.

The Spaniard surged past World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev 7-6(5), 6-1 on Sunday to retain the BNP Paribas Open title. It is the 20-year-old's first title since he triumphed at Wimbledon last year.

Alcaraz entered the Indian Wells fortnight with a 6-3 record on the season and during his most recent outing, in Rio de Janeiro, he suffered an injury scare to his ankle, forcing him to retire. But the No. 2 player in the PIF ATP Rankings emerged from a star-studded field in the California desert with the trophy and restored confidence. 

“Winning this tournament means a lot to me because the week before it began, I had a lot of doubts about my ankle,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “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.

”I was not feeling well with my ankle, so a lot of doubts for me. But once I stepped on the court, the first round, I started to feel better.”

Alcaraz and Medvedev also met in the Indian Wells final one year ago, when the former won 6-3, 6-2. The two-time Indian Wells champion took a 5-3 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry after a championship performance in which he hit 19 forehand winners compared to 11 total winners for his opponent.

Alcaraz was not as sharp early on as he was in the semi-finals, when he ended Jannik Sinner’s perfect 16-0 start to 2024. Medvedev broke in his first return game of the match and appeared confident in the California desert, while his opponent was making uncharacteristic unforced errors.

But once Alcaraz battled back onto serve at 3-2 with a sensational forehand passing shot, the message was clear: Game on!

The Spaniard showed the incredible athleticism and shotmaking that has earned him millions of fans across the globe. Many rallies were adventures with the players' sneakers squeaking on the court as they quickly changed directions to adjust during the thrilling points.

Alcaraz broke in his first return game of the second set, dismissing a forehand return for a winner up the line. He never looked back, claiming the crown after one hour and 42 minutes.

According to Infosys ATP Stats, Medvedev lost 16 service games en route to the final and while he saved seven of the 10 break points he faced against Alcaraz, he still dropped three service games. 

The champion took a page out of the Medvedev returning book, standing well behind the baseline to take full cuts at the ball and immediately put pressure on his opponent.

The tournament did not start well for Alcaraz, who lost his opening set of the event against rising Italian Matteo Arnaldi. But once he found his game, it became clear that Alcaraz was back near the best. The 20-year-old defeated two of the Top 4 players in the world over the final weekend to earn his fifth ATP Masters 1000 title and 13th tour-level crown overall.

”As I said after every match, I was feeling better and better,” Alcaraz said. “I’m really, really happy to be able to win this tournament again.”

Celebrities were out in force at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with Zendaya, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron and Maria Sharapova among the stars in attendance for the scintillating showdown.

Cast your webs, we're feeling pretty euphoric to have caught Zendaya and Tom at Indian Wells 😎@BNPPARIBASOPEN | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/Z8FvctIpFi

— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 17, 2024

Medvedev tried to earn his first Indian Wells trophy. The California event is the last hard-court Masters 1000 event he has not yet won — the 28-year-old has claimed six of nine Masters 1000s overall.

The World No. 4 Medvedev will now head to Miami, where he will defend the title. Alcaraz is keen to maintain his momentum in Florida, too.

”Obviously winning tournaments helps a lot coming to to the next ones,” Alcaraz said. “Obviously winning a Masters 1000 again — it is a really difficult tournament to win — gives you extra motivation to keep going, extra confidence for Miami right now and for what's next. For me it's it's amazing to lift this amazing trophy again, a really beautiful one.”