Fabian Marozsan had the advantage of knowing how to beat Carlos Alcaraz. But apparently, that wasn’t enough information, as the 20-year-old Spaniard successfully took his revenge against the Hungarian rising star. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 6-3 in the Round of 16 match of the 2024 Indian Wells tournament. This marked a very special milestone in Alcaraz’s career.
With his win over Marozsan, Carlos Alcaraz now has 50 wins in ATP 1000 Masters matches, before turning 21. A unique and special record, it was initially held by fellow Spanish player Rafael Nadal. Nadal still leads this pack i.e. this list with 81 wins. With 49 wins before this match, Alcaraz was already ahead of World No.1 Novak Djokovic, who managed to win 48 ATP 1000 Masters matches before turning 21.
Rafael Nadal also leads the pack with most ATP 1000 Masters titles won before turning 21 i.e. 9 titles. Alcaraz has already caught up with Djokovic in winning 4 titles each before 21. If he wins the 2024 Indian Wells, Alcaraz will be ahead of the Serb in this regard too.
Fabian Marozsan defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the 2023 Rome Masters. Not only that, Marozsan had also beaten Jiri Lehecka and Corentin Moutet in that tournament, and is quickly becoming one of the rising stars of tennis. Therefore, there was hope for him to beat Alcaraz. However, as the match turned out, Alcaraz left no stone unturned in giving the heat to Marozsan. Alcaraz was faster and more powerful, and Marozsan simply couldn’t keep up. He also applied tact in between to score points.
The only time the scoreline was close, was in the first set when it was 3-3. From there on, a few errors by Marozsan, and Alcaraz’s brilliance saw him charge ahead in the match. He won it in straight sets of 6-3.
The commentator on air said, “It will not be a repeat. Instead, it will be revenge for Alcaraz.”
How does Carlos Alcaraz stack up to his idol Rafael Nadal at age 20?
Rafael Nadal is not competing at the Indian Wells 2024 but this doesn’t lessen his legacy in this tournament and ATP Tours altogether. Carlos Alcaraz, a young and bright prodigy, who looks up to Nadal, might be matching him in several such records and accomplishments.
At age 18, when Alcaraz won the 2022 San Diego Open, he broke Rafael Nadal’s record of being the youngest-ever ATP 500 champion. Rafael Nadal had also won it when he was 18, at the 2005 Acapulco Open, but he was a few months older.
Alcaraz also became the youngest Wimbledon finalist last year at age 20. He broke Nadal’s achievement, who was also 20 when he reached the 2006 Wimbledon final. Unlike Nadal, who lost to Roger Federer in that final, Alcaraz actually defeated Novak Djokovic to win the Wimbledon title, and his second-ever Grand Slam. ‘Youngest active male player to crack the Top 20′ and ”Youngest player to defend a Masters title’ are two of the other records that Alcaraz stole from Nadal.
Alcaraz will be facing Alexander Zverev next in the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells 2024. This provides another opportunity for the Spaniard to take revenge for his quarter-final loss to the German star at the Australian Open 2024. It should be a great match.
