INDIAN WELLS – Carlos Alcaraz said his successful Indian Wells title defence was all the sweeter because he felt he had found himself in the California desert after a difficult few months.
The Spaniard, still only 20, had not won a title since clinching his second Major crown at Wimbledon in 2023 until he beat Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 on March 17 in a rematch of the 2023 final.
He also became the first repeat winner at Indian Wells since Novak Djokovic won three straight titles from 2014 to 2016.
Alcaraz said the title drought had not bothered him but, struggling with injury, he felt he had lost his way a bit and was not enjoying being on court.
“It’s difficult to put it into words, because I had really difficult months,” he said.
“Let’s say the last two months it was difficult for me to find myself. I didn’t enjoy stepping on the court. I wasn’t myself on the court the last two months, three months, so it was difficult for me.
“It means a lot to me, lifting this trophy because I overcame a lot of problems in my head, a lot of problems physically. It was so special for that. That’s why I’m really, really happy to lift this trophy, because I found myself at this tournament, and I felt really, really good.”
Alcaraz started 2024 with a quarter-final exit at the Australian Open, before being knocked out in the semi-finals in Buenos Aires and retiring from his first match in Rio de Janeiro with an ankle injury.
“I was struggling to enjoy being on the court. My family, my team, people close to me were telling me that I was not smiling as much as I was doing before,” he added.
Enjoying his tennis was important to Alcaraz, he said, and nothing was more likely to bring out his trademark grin than winning a point with the sort of “special shot” he produced to get past Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals and Medvedev on March 17.
“I always say that I’m playing better with a smile on my face. And points like this one, doesn’t matter if I win it or lose it, it puts a smile on my face anyways,” he said.
World No. 4 Medvedev, who was hindered by an ankle injury in their 2023 title clash, got off to a hot start in this one, parlaying a service break into a 3-0 lead.
However, Alcaraz produced a blazing forehand passing shot to break Medvedev in the fifth game and from there they duelled to the tiebreak with entertaining rallies spiced by drop shots, volleys and lobs.
Alcaraz had fans out of their seats in one rally, where he started to let a lob go by but, seeing it was heading in, managed to reach it and salvage the point.
Trailing 5-2 in the tiebreak, Australian Open runner-up Medvedev battled back to 5-5, but Alcaraz claimed the set when the Russian sent a forehand wide and from there he was in complete control.
“He managed in the first set at one moment to raise his level. I kind of managed to be there and to try to catch his level, but I was just a little bit down,” Medvedev said.
“In the end, this down was going down, down, down, and he was going up, up, up. So the result is a fair result for the match that it was. But I’m happy. Last time I managed to (reach the final in Indian Wells) I won Miami – so that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
World No. 2 Alcaraz said he would take a valuable lesson in problem-solving away from Indian Wells along with the trophy and a cheque for US$1.1 million (S$1.4 million).
“It doesn’t matter what problems you have. If you believe in yourself, you have a really good team around you, you work hard, everything can turn around,” he said.
“I think that’s the biggest lesson that I take from this tournament.” REUTERS, AFP
