Carlos Alcaraz comes into Indian Wells filled with confidence, however he has an extended technique to go if he desires to outdo Novak Djokovic.
Carlos Alcaraz has a technique to go if he desires to match Novak Djokovic’s begin to the 2011 season (Picture: Getty)
Carlos Alcaraz has returned to Indian Wells on a excessive. The world No. 1 has not misplaced a match this yr, going 12-0 and lifting trophies on the Australian Open and the ATP 500 occasion in Doha. The Spaniard additionally has nice recollections within the Californian desert, profitable the title there in 2023 and 2024, and would be the favorite to reclaim the crown once more this yr.
However Alcaraz has a really lengthy technique to go earlier than he can break Novak Djokovic’s document for the longest unbeaten run to begin a season. Again in 2011, the Serbian celebrity went 41-0 and gained all of his matches till the French Open semi-finals in June, and the stark actuality of Djokovic’s unbelievable run has now dawned on his younger rival, who gave an X-rated response when quizzed concerning the document.
“Yeah, clearly I do know that 41, Novak holds the document. I am gonna say, you do not realise how troublesome it’s till you, I am gonna say, you are chasing that, as a result of, you already know, all proper, 41, it isn’t that a lot, however you then’re like 12 on, it is like, shit, it is like 4 or 5 extra tournaments, the most important tournaments on the planet,” he laughed.
“You realise and you are feeling like how spectacular it’s. You realize, I simply actually proud about my begin of the yr. Hopefully the profitable streak continues or I’d strive that, however I simply joyful to see myself enjoying nice tennis.”
Ought to Alcaraz win Indian Wells, he’d make it 18-0 for the yr to this point, nonetheless no match for 24-time Main winner Djokovic. However the 22-year-old remains to be hopeful that he can maintain profitable for so long as potential.
The Spanish star’s run didn’t simply begin at first of 2026. Since he misplaced his opening match on the Miami Open 12 months in the past, Alcaraz has reached not less than the finals in 12 of his final 13 tournaments, the exception being the Paris Masters. And he believes the actual enchancment has been psychological.
It has been 15 years since Novak Djokovic began a season going 41 matches unbeaten (Picture: Getty)
Alcaraz defined: “I feel on the court docket I simply management my feelings even higher. I’d say that was the important thing of, you already know, the nice degree of tennis that I’ve been enjoying currently, as a result of on the court docket, I simply management myself, and in a peaceful place I can discover the options and I can undergo.
“After I was getting mad or after I was enjoying dangerous or no matter, I simply discovered the appropriate means once more, as a result of I used to be calm, I used to be controlling myself and controlling my feelings and I used to be sustaining my good focus. I’d say I used to be doing that even higher than earlier than.”
The No. 1 seed in Indian Wells has a bye instantly into the second spherical the place he faces both Terence Atmane or Grigor Dimitrov. Final yr, Alcaraz misplaced to eventual champion Jack Draper within the semi-finals, and he’ll be eager to get his palms on a 3rd trophy in California.
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