Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won the Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 on Sunday by defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2. This brought him back to the top spot in the world.
Alcaraz, who won the US Open, broke Medvedev’s winning streak of 19 matches and prevented him from winning his fourth tournament in a row. This ensured that Medvedev would take over for Novak Djokovic, who won the Australian Open.
Recovering the No. 1 trophy here is an incredible experience. 1,” Alcaraz remarked. This has been the perfect tournament, in my opinion.”
Djokovic of Serbia, who is prohibited from entering the United States because he has not been vaccinated against Covid-19, did not play in Indian Wells and will not play in the Miami Open, where Alcaraz is the defending champion, starting this week.
Alcaraz, who won his third Masters 1000 title last year at Flushing Meadows and became the youngest ever world number one, joined compatriot Rafael Nadal as the only players to win at least three as a teenager.
Before turning 20, Nadal won six titles. He broke through Medvedev’s formidable defenses, which he had referred to as the “wall,” and was unstoppable on Stadium Court.
Medvedev, fresh off victories in Rotterdam, Doha, and Dubai, was unable to respond as Alcaraz defied the windy conditions with winners from all over the court.
He said the enormous change in him since a semi-last loss to Nadal last year at Indian Wells was his solace level on the game’s greatest stages.
Medvedev has more pressure:
“I figure my tennis didn’t work on such a huge amount since a year ago. I greatly improve by not succumbing to pressure and simply playing relaxed. I consider that to be the most significant factor.
There was no way Medvedev could have put more pressure on him. Alcaraz jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set with a stinging backhand winner.
He won the first ten points of the second set and took a 4-0 lead after giving himself a set point with a sharply angled forehand volley and sealing it with an unreturnable serve. He finished it in one hour and 11 minutes without losing a breakpoint. A diving volley win gave him a match point, which he turned into a service win.
Tough match :
He stated, “I expected a tougher match.” I performed flawlessly today in a tactic match against him. It wasn’t easy, but that’s why it looks easy.
Despite a slow start to the year, Alcaraz is back at the top. He was unable to play in the Australian Open because of the injury, where Djokovic won a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title. He must, however, successfully defend his Miami title over the next two weeks in order to maintain his position at the top.
Despite twisting his ankle in a win over Alexander Zverev and cutting his thumb in another tumble against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Medvedev, a former world number one and US Open champion, was pleased to advance past the fourth round at Indian Wells for the first time.
“Why did I play poorly? I’m not sure. It may have been his ball. Perhaps it was the wind; today was quite windy, and it was normal for him to find it easier to navigate the wind.
“Yet, the week was astonishing,” added Medvedev never an enthusiast of the sluggish hard courts of Indian Wells.
During the trophy presentation, he recited a lengthy list of individuals for whom he was grateful, “I had a pretty toxic relationship with the courts here.”
“This court deserves my appreciation. I was having a hard time with it, so it was hard for me too. I rolled my ankle, but I was able to finish the tournament, so I’m grateful to this court.