World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz won his second consecutive Indian Wells ATP title with a comfortable 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 victory over Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. Both champions were defeated by Russians. Alcaraz won his first title since winning Wimbledon last July and became the first Indianville player since Novak Djokovic’s three consecutive titles from 2014-16. Sri Lanka’s defending champion. For the 20-year-old Spaniard, 12 days in the California desert proved just what he needed after a poor start to the season, which included a quarter-final exit at the Australian Open and an ankle injury It forced him to withdraw from the inaugural season’s February race in Rio de Janeiro.
“There’s a lot of doubt for me,” he said of his mindset during the longest title drought since his first major title at the 2022 U.S. Open.
For Alcaraz, however, it’s not just about ending a drought, it’s about rediscovering his joy in the game.
“Lifting this trophy and winning this game means a lot to me because I overcame a lot of mental issues and I overcame a lot of physical issues,” he said.
“It’s not that I haven’t won a match since Wimbledon. For me it’s not important, it’s the feeling… It’s about enjoying playing tennis and once I Stepping on the court and committing to my game. That’s all that matters.
“That’s why I’m really, really happy to lift this trophy because I find myself in this game.”
Like last year, Alcaraz rejected Medvedev’s request to capture the only one of the six ATP hardcourt Masters 1000 titles he has yet to win.
What’s more, a week after snapping Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner’s 19-match winning streak, Alcaraz is confident heading into next week’s hard-court tournament in Miami and beyond.
“Obviously, winning the game helps a lot in the upcoming games,” said Alcaraz, whose game not only included a semifinal victory over red-hot Sinner but also a quarterfinal win over Alexander Zwillie My husband passed by a swarm of bees. – the man who ousted him in Melbourne.
“Obviously, winning the Masters 1000 again – which is a very difficult event to win – gives you extra motivation to keep going and extra confidence for Miami now and what’s next,” Alcaraz said , he joins compatriot Rafael Nadal as the only players to win five Masters 1000 titles before turning 21.
extra motivation
World No. 4 Medvedev, whose 2023 title bid has been hampered by an ankle injury, got off to a hot start in the match, breaking serve to take a 3-0 lead in the first set.
But Alcaraz hit a blistering forehand pass to break Medvedev’s serve in the fifth game, and from there they fought through an entertaining showdown of lobs, volleys and lobs to settle the decider.
Alcaraz electrified fans at a rally when he started to let go of a lob, but seeing the ball about to fly in, he managed to hit it and save the game.
“I’m trying to do that,” Alcaraz said. “It gives me extra motivation.”
In the deciding game, Australian Open runner-up Medvedev chased the score to 5-5 after falling behind 2-5, but Alkaraz completely controlled the score after the Russian’s forehand serve missed.
“He raised his level for a moment in the first set,” Medvedev said. “I managed to get there and try to catch up to his level, but I was just a little frustrated.
“In the end, it just kept going down, down, down, and he was going up, up, up.
“So the result is fair for the match. But I’m happy,” Medvedev added. “The last time I made it (to the final in Indian Wells) I won Miami – so that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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