Alcaraz beginning to find top form again: “My confidence is growing by the day”

The Spaniard is through to the quarter-finals in Indian Wells, where he will play Alexander Zverev

@Antoine Couvercelle/Panoramic

March 13, 2024

After a sluggish start to the season, and a major worry following his withdrawal from Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Alcaraz is reassuring everyone, including himself, at Indian Wells. The ankle is better, and so is the Spaniard’s game.

Qualifying for the quarter-finals in California for the third year in a row, the defending champion has rediscovered his flamboyant game, fast movement and exceptional defence. After a sluggish first set against Matteo Arnaldi in his opening match, Alcaraz has grown considerably.

On Tuesday, he got his revenge in fine style against Hungarian Fabian Marozsan, who dominated him in Rome last year. The world No 2 didn’t drop his serve once and made it easy for himself by returning almost every one of his opponent’s serves in his 6-3, 6-3 victory.

Now comes the real test, with a quarter-final scheduled against his Australian Open tormentor Alexander Zverev, who leads 5-3 in their meetings. But Alcaraz finally seems to be playing his best tennis of the season, and his confidence is growing all the time, as he said in a press conference.

Carlos Alcaraz, Indian Wells 2024 – © Antoine Couvercelle

ALCARAZ FEELING GOOD IN INDIAN WELLS

“I always say that I can be better, that I can play better. But I’m really happy with the way I approached the game, the way I played and the way I felt,” he said. “You know, I think I moved well. I controlled the timing of the match very well. At the most difficult points, the hardest moments, I managed the timing very well. I’m getting more and more confident.

A semi-finalist in 2022 and the winner in 2023, Carlos Alcaraz is feeling very good in Indian Wells, and this is undoubtedly helping him to rediscover his best sensations. The Spaniard told reporters that the courts and balls in California were excellent for his game.

“I think the conditions here suit my game very well. I feel really comfortable on this court, in this tournament. I feel really good. Not just on the court, but off it too. I think it’s very important for players to feel relaxed, to feel calm or to feel really good, you know, off the court.

“You have to relax a bit, not think about tennis all the time. I love playing on these courts, I think all these years – well, all these years. For the last three years, I’ve played some excellent tennis here. Yes, I think this tournament has given me extra motivation.”