Carlos Alcaraz won his second consecutive Indian Wells ATP title on Sunday, defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (7/5), 6-1. Alcaraz won his first title since Wimbledon in July 2023, becoming the first repeat winner in Indian Wells since Novak Djokovic won three in a row from 2014-16.
After a shaky start to the season that included an ankle injury that took him out of his opening match in Rio de Janeiro in February and an Australian Open quarterfinal elimination, the 20-year-old Spaniard found that 12 days in the California desert proved to be just what he needed.
Medvedev, who was sidelined by an ankle injury in their 2023 title match, got out to a fast start in this one, getting a service break and leading 3-0 in the opening set. However, in the fifth game, Alcaraz broke Medvedev with a brilliant forehand passing shot. From then on, they had thrilling rallies filled with drop shots, volleys and lobs, which continued until the tie-breaker.
In one rally, Alcaraz had fans jumping out of their seats when he first let a ball pass by, but he managed to reach it and salvaged the point.
Australian Open runner-up Medvedev rallied from a 5-2 lead to 5-5 in the tie-breaker, but Alcaraz took the set after the Russian’s forehand went wide and from there he was in complete control.
