Carlos Alcaraz revalidated his crown this Sunday at the Indian Wells Masters 1,000 by winning 7-6(5) and 6-1 against Russian Daniil Medvedev in the reissue of the 2023 final in the Californian desert, which makes him the first player capable of stringing two wins in a row since the Serbian achieved it Novak Djokovic in 2016.
With this result, The Spaniard pocketed a check for $1.1 million dollars.
Curiously, although last year The prize pool distributed was $1.5 million less, Alcaraz took home $1,262 million dollars for his victorythat is to say, $162 thousand dollars more than in 2024according to ATP data.
The purse that Alcaraz took is equivalent to more than double his earnings this year, since He had $451,000 this season before his victory in Indian Wells.
After winning the final, which he reached after ending the Italian’s streak of 19 consecutive victories in the semifinals Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz raised to the sky the fifth Masters 1,000 of his already extraordinary career.
The Murcian, 20 years old and winner of two ‘majors’, had not won a tournament since Wimbledon 2023 and surpassed his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, as the second Spaniard with the most Masters 1,000 titles (5), only behind Rafa Nadal ( 36).
The world number two increased his record against Medvedev to 4-2 and took revenge for the defeat that the Russian inflicted on him in September at the United States Open, when he prevented him from defending his crown in New York.
He needed one hour and 47 minutes to knock down Medvedev. His merit was winning a very demanding first set, in which he overcame a break of disadvantage and in which he was able to take advantage in the tiebreaker after an hour and ten of battle.
Medvedev did not have the strength to react after that lost set and was one step away from the twenty-first title of his career.
The first set was key in Alcaraz’s victory
Alcaraz had to know how to suffer against a Medvedev who adjusted his game to put the Murcian in trouble. He remained in a much more advanced position compared to what was seen in the rest of the tournament and achieved the break in Carlitos’ first turn. In the entire 2023 final, the Russian had not managed to break his rival’s serve.
As in the match with Sinner, Alcaraz needed a few minutes to get into the rhythm. He couldn’t feel comfortable, he had problems with the wind on center court and committed up to eleven unforced errors in the first three games. Still, he managed three breaking points, without being able to take advantage of them, and Medvedev escaped 3-0.
“You have to calm down and see things clearly,” Ferrero told him from his ‘box’ at the headquarters. It seemed like his words worked. The Murcian changed his attitude, played with more solidity and converted, with a great drop shot and subsequent forehand pass, the break that tied the duel again.
He got another breaking ball at 4-4, but his parallel backhand ended up wide by inches. Alcaraz found his way, forcing Medvedev to win the point several times with admirable defense, but he needed to go through a tense tiebreaker to take advantage.
He was about to waste a 3-0 lead and Medvedev came back to tie at 5-5, but Carlitos won the face-to-face match 7-5 to take the first set. after a battle of one hour and ten minutes.
It was a psychological blow for Medvedev and a great confidence boost for Alcaraz, who maximized the momentum at the opening of the second set. He held serve at thirty and earned three break points on the Russian’s first turn. He earned the third with a wonderful through backhand and converted it with a forehand response that gave him a 2-0 lead.
The most complicated moment had passed and the second set became, thanks to Alcaraz, a real ride. Everything came easily for the Murcian, while Medvedev struggled a lot to find rhythm and ways to put his rival in trouble.
Alcaraz lost two points in his next two turns at serve and, with the score 4-1, he achieved the second break, at fifteen, to go serve for the match.
He didn’t miss the opportunity. Medvedev, already one step away from defeat, confronted the public for continuing to encourage the Murcian even during the points. Alcaraz kept his serve at fifteen and revalidated his title in Indian Wells to confirm himself as the king of the Californian desert.
*With information from EFE.
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