Spanish teen Carlos Alcaraz wins maiden Indian Wells, dethrones Novak Djokovic to reclaim No. 1 ranking

Spanish teen Carlos Alcaraz wins maiden Indian Wells, dethrones Novak Djokovic to reclaim No. 1 ranking

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 10 minutes to end the Russian star's 19-match and three-tournament winning streak.

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Monday, March 20, 2023, 10:51 AM IST
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Spanish teen Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday clinched his maiden Indian Wells title after beating Daniil Medvedev in a two-set final. The 19-year-old, thus, returned to the top of the ATP rankings by dethroning Novak Djokovic as the No. 1 player in the world.

Alcaraz defeated Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 10 minutes to end the Russian star's 19-match and three-tournament winning streak.

"It means a lot to me. To recover the No. 1 [ranking] is crazy for me. But especially to lift the trophy here for me means a lot... I love this tournament.

"I really enjoy my time here and of course I felt the love from the people from day one. For me, it's amazing to complete these 10 days like this," Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz matches Nadal's record

Now a three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion as the reigning titlist in Miami and Madrid, Alcaraz is the ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double - Indian Wells and Miami - in his career.

He joins countryman Rafael Nadal as the only players to win at least three Masters 1000 titles as a teenager, with Nadal having won six before turning 20.

"Of course winning a tournament, it gives you a lot of confidence [entering Miami]," the Spaniard said, looking ahead to the year's second ATP Masters 1000 event. I'm playing great.

"Of course today, the conditions today were pretty tough. Of course Daniil didn't play at his best, obviously.

"All I can say is I'm really happy with my performance, the way that I [was] playing this tournament. I'm looking forward to playing this level in Miami as well," Alcaraz said.

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