Carlos Alcaraz’s remarkable 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Grigor Dimitrov secured his place in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells, marking his fourth consecutive appearance at this stage. With this feat, Alcaraz has now reached the quarter-finals in 15 out of his 27 Masters 1000 tournaments, an impressive 55.6% conversion rate.
This places Alcaraz in a prestigious league of former world No 1s who have achieved similar success since 1990. The distinguished list includes tennis legends such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Stefan Edberg.
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, boasts of a 72.5% success rate, having reached the quarter-finals in 95 out of 131 events. Nadal, despite battling multiple injuries, has an even better record, having made it to the last eight in 99 out of the 130 Masters 1000 events he participated in, a staggering 76.2% rate. Federer, the Swiss maestro, has a 63% rate, reaching the quarter-finals in 87 out of his 138 participations. Edberg, although with fewer tournament participations (81), managed a commendable 58% rate with 47 quarter-final appearances.
These exceptional records affirm the elite status of these players, including Alcaraz, who has all previously held the world No 1 rank.
Alcaraz, fresh off his 30th victory in his last 32 sets at Indian Wells, is eyeing his third tournament trophy. The Spaniard expresses his love for the conditions at Indian Wells, stating, “Every time that I [am] playing here in this court, I just feel great, the conditions here, the court, the balls. I think every day is a little bit of wind which I like playing with.”
The Grand Slam victor has a golden opportunity to reduce the gap with Alexander Zverev and even the world No 1, Jannik Siner, who is currently barred from professional tennis until May.
Despite this, Alcaraz remains down-to-earth and focused on his primary objectives, stating, “I’m not thinking really much about recovering the No 1 in two or three months. I mean, that could make me feel extra pressure with that. So as I said, I’m just focused on every day and every tournament.”
This focus is evident as Alcaraz prepares for his next challenge at Indian Wells, taking on Francisco Cerundolo, who recently defeated Alex de Minaur with a score of 7-3, 6-3. Alcaraz leads their head-to-head record 1-0, and will be keen to extend this lead and progress further in the tournament.
In summary, Carlos Alcaraz’s impressive performance at Indian Wells adds him to the illustrious list of former world No 1s who have achieved exceptional success at ATP tournaments. His focus, dedication, and love for the game are evident in his words and on the court, making him a player to watch in the coming months.
