"Winning this tournament means a lot to me", Carlos Alcaraz after revalidates his title at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz has successfully defended his Indian Wells title, doing so against the same opponent he defeated last year, Daniil Medvedev. In 2023, he was impressive, winning 6-3, 6-2, and this time around was no different, clinching it 7-6(5) and 6-1.

A tournament he entered with many doubts, as he himself has confirmed, after suffering an ankle injury the last time he competed, at the Rio Open:

"Winning this tournament means a lot to me because the week before it started, I had many doubts about my ankle. I remember my first training here was only 30 minutes without any movement, and the first training sessions with top players were very difficult for me because I thought I wouldn't play at my best level, I wasn't feeling well with my ankle, so I had many doubts."

"But once I stepped onto the court in the first round, I started to feel better, and, as I say after every match, I feel better and better, and very, very happy to have been able to win this tournament again."

This title represents the first one he has won since Wimbledon, in July of last year. That is, he has gone 8 months without winning a tournament, something he hadn't accustomed us to. But this victory gives him great motivation for what lies ahead.

"A lot, as I said, I had many doubts before the tournament, gaining confidence after each match. Obviously, winning tournaments helps a lot for what's to come."

"Winning a Masters 1000 again, which is so difficult to win, gives you extra motivation, an extra boost of confidence for Miami now and for what comes after. For me, it's incredible to conquer this wonderful trophy again, such a beautiful one."

And as Alcaraz himself has said, what comes next is the Miami Open, where he will have the opportunity to win the title he claimed in 2022, his first Masters 1000 of his career, and become the eighth player in the history of men's tennis to achieve the Sunshine Double in the same year after Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, Marcelo Ríos, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer (3 times), and Novak Djokovic (4 times).

With the confirmed absence of Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and doubts surrounding Jannik Sinner's participation, he would be the clear favorite alongside today's finalist, Daniil Medvedev, who defends the title he won in 2023 after defeating Sinner in the final.