After a brief hiccup at the Australian Open 2024, Carlos Alcaraz is back to his winning ways. The 20-year-old Spaniard defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 in the final to win the Indian Wells 2024. He successfully defended his title from last year, and now he is off to the Miami Open.
This hearkens back to his 2022 Miami Open win when Alcaraz was just starting to take over the tennis world with his caliber. He became the youngest player to win the Miami Open, breaking Novak Djokovic’s 15-year-long record. Djokovic won his first-ever Miami Masters in 2007 when he was nearly 20 years old. Alcaraz won it at age 18, breaking his record by quite some margin.
After the win, tennis legend Martina Navratilova praised him as the most ‘complete player’ in that current scenario. Alcaraz was almost stunned to answer but finally came up with one. As Carlos Alcaraz walked up to the media center for his post-win interview, Martina Navratilova and the host greeted him with a smile and respect. They then asked him a few questions.
Martina Navratilova asked him, “You are such a complete player already, and it’s hard to find what you can do better; haven’t found any openings against you… how come you are such a complete player so soon in your career? I know, Juan Carlos has done a great job, but still how did you get here?”
After a shy smile and a little bit of awkwardness brought on by his humility, Alcaraz then answers the question.
He said, “Juan Carlos played everything that I am playing. He has experienced all that I am experiencing right now. So, he helped me a lot. Of course, it helps me a lot, with all the experience that I lived last year. I mean playing Rafa in Madrid… you have to live that experience to learn how I grew up with it. Yeah, I think I knew what I had to do…”
Humble as ever, Alcaraz pinned the credit on his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, who has truly been remarkable in taking Alcaraz to the top spot. Juan Carlos Ferrero was absent during the AO 2024 but is always in support and by Alcaraz’s side. Alcaraz also mentioned that having renowned and reputed players from Spain like Rafael Nadal helps him idolize someone from a young age. Then to experience and learn from playing against them is a huge bonus in career growth.
Carlos Alcaraz was 18 when he won the Miami Open 2022, his first-ever ATP 1000 Masters event title. To win such a major tennis tournament at such a young age; Navratilova and others weren’t far off in being shocked at his early transformation. From there to now, Alcaraz has won 13 ATP titles already and he is just 20 years old. There are many more to follow.
Carlos Alcaraz had a fabulous journey in Miami Open 2022
At the Miami Open 2022, Alcaraz was out of the Top 10 seeds. He was seeded 14th, right behind Diego Schwartzmann and right ahead of fellow Spanish player Roberto Bautista Agut.
Alcaraz played his first match in the second round against Marton Fucsovics, which he won 6-3, 6-2. He continued his winning run against Marin Cilic and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the next two rounds, where he won 6-4, 6-4, and 7-5, 6-3 respectively.
In the quarterfinals, he found a strong match with Miomir Kecmanovic. Alcaraz won 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), and proceeded to play Hubert Hurkacz in the semi-final. Alcaraz beat Hurkacz 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2).
In the final, he defeated Casper Ruud 7-5, 6-4. After his loss to Rafael Nadal in the Indian Wells 2022 semi-final, winning the Miami Open must have felt like a relief.
He will now be the top seed player in the Miami Open 2024. After his Indian Wells 2024 domination, fans will expect him to win the Miami Open 2024 too. Daniil Medvedev is, however, the defending champion.
