Alcaraz after winning Indian Wells: “I found myself at this tournament”
Carlos Alcaraz reveals what shifted for him at Indian Wells this last fortnight, with the Spaniard winning his first title since Wimbledon 2023
Carlos Alcaraz, Indian Wells 2024 | © Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic
One of the biggest mysteries on the ATP Tour over the past nine months has been the curious form of Carlos Alcaraz.
The Spanish prodigy went from winning everything – 11 titles in an 18 months period, including two Grand Slams and four Masters – to going titleless from Wimbledon 2023 until now.
Having now got on the board again with a successful defence of his Indian Wells title against Daniil Medvedev on Sunday, the 20-year-old has opened up about how this winless period was for him.
“It’s difficult to put it into words, because I had really difficult months. Let’s say the last two months it was difficult for me to find myself,” shared Alcaraz after his victory in Indian Wells. “I didn’t enjoy, let’s say, stepping on the court. I wasn’t myself on the court the last two months, let’s say, two months, three months, so it was difficult for me.
“It means a lot to me, lifting this trophy, winning this tournament, because I overcome a lot of problems in my head, a lot of problems physically. It was so special for that. Not that I didn’t win a tournament since Wimbledon.
“For me, it doesn’t matter. It’s about the feelings, as I said. For me, if I win tournaments or not, I don’t care. It’s about enjoying playing tennis, once I step on the court, putting my game. It’s what only matters. That’s why I’m really, really happy to lift this trophy, because I found myself at this tournament, and I felt really, really good.”
Alcaraz: Last few months tougher than post-Wimbledon 2023
The world No 2 revealed that while he struggled results-wise in the second half of 2023, he was still enjoying his tennis.
“It was a really difficult period after Wimbledon. I couldn’t find my style, my game, but anyway, I was enjoying after Wimbledon, a really good American swing after that. Of course in Beijing, Shanghai, I did pretty well. At the end of the year I didn’t play well, but it didn’t matter that I was not playing well. I was enjoying.”
It wasn’t until this year that the 20-year-old really began having a tough time on the tennis court, both in terms of results and his mentality.
“You know, the last few months it was difficult for me because I didn’t find myself. I was struggling to enjoy on the court,” Alcaraz confessed.
“My family, my team, people close to me was telling me that, that what happened to me, that I was not smiling as much as I was doing before. Yeah, it’s difficult moment for me, but yeah, I was enjoying after Wimbledon.”
With his smile well and truly back in Indian Wells this weekend, Alcaraz now heads to Miami where he’ll attempt to win the Sunshine Double for the first time in his young career.
