Alcaraz, champion comeback in his debut in Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz He retains the option to revalidate the Masters 1000 ATP title in Indian Wells, although he does not follow the path that led him to victory in 2023. Then he did not give up a set, when in 2024 began he in the fall of the first. he played

The Murcian, 20 years old and world No. 2, reacted like the champ he is to a somewhat erratic debut. He knows how to get out of an irregular dynamic of mistakes to completely bury a difficult opponent, the Italian. Matteo Arnaldi23 years old and number 40.

Alcaraz won 6-7 (5), 6-0 and 6-1 in 2h.14′, drawing applause from Paradise Tennis headquarters and his own team, led by an active Juan Carlos Ferrero. He demanded order but also decision from his student, a balance he got when the situation looked difficult.

The Spaniard arrived with a test in the Las Vegas exhibition match Rafael Nadal days before, but there is no absolute certainty how the right ankle injured on February 20 in the Rio tournament will respond, if the lack of work due to days off may have an impact on his level.

Furthermore, without the support of a trophy he has not lifted since Wimbledon 2023. His last ATP final began in August, in Cincinnati. But he has a lot of quality and strength, and he knows how to deal with the difficulties that are presented.

At 4-3 and serving, he experienced the counterbreak. Advantage wasted in minutes. He came back from set point to reach the tiebreak, where he made another effort to level at 3-5. In a very tug-of-war, he paid for those ups and downs by losing the set 6-7 (5).

accumulated 23 unforced errors, twice as much as his opponent, whom he gave a lot of air with too many concessions. They quickly ran out. In the second set Alcaraz accumulated two errors. He went after his opponent, with the perfect mix of strength and toughness.

He made a 10-0 run, 9-0 since the tiebreak loss. The Italian was pierced, the Spanish ate. In another show of strength, the El Palmar tennis player took a 15-40 lead to 3-1 in the third set. He defended his streak tooth and nail. He raised that disturbing score with a beautiful first serve and smashed the ball with his forehand. The classification ends by recreating itself in the network.

Alcaraz struggled, he didn’t back down. This Sunday, reunion with the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, in the third round. The disciple of Frederic Fontang and Toni Nadal overcame the French Constant Lestienne by 6-4 and 6-1. Once a solid top-10 player, he dropped to 31st place after a gray last year. At 23 years old, he is looking to regain his best version.

Auger-Aliassime He was one of the few to maintain a favorable balance with Alcaraz, 3-1, although the Spaniard won the most recent duel. In the quarterfinals of the previous Indian Wells, 6-4 and 6-4.

“I ended up playing well against Arnaldi. And my ankle surprised me, I was able to move normally, feeling good,” he congratulated. Carlos Alcaraz.

Quarterfinalist in the Australian Open, semifinalist in Buenos Aires, injured in the first change in Rio de Janeiro, he added his seventh victory of the season in ten games. He needed joy now, and he was ready to find it and give it to him.