Carlos clinches maiden title, returns to top spot in ATP Rankings

CALIFORNIA: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reclaimed his world number one spot after clinching his maiden Indian Wells title by defeating Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the final of the tournament on Monday.

The 19-year-old downed Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in his most one-sided win of the tournament. He did not lose even a single set in his six Indian Wells matches.

"It means a lot to me. To recover the No. 1 [ranking] is crazy for me," Alcaraz said as quoted by ATP after clinching the win in a rapid one hour, 10 minutes.

"But especially to lift the trophy here for me means a lot... I love this tournament. I really enjoy my time here and of course, I felt the love from the people from day one. For me, it is amazing to complete these 10 days like this," added Alcaraz.

The three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion is the reigning titlist in Miami and Madrid. He is the ninth and also the youngest man to clinch the Sunshine Double - Indian Wells and Miami Open titles in his career.

He is in the company of legendary Spanish player Rafael Nadal as the only players to win at least three Masters 1000 titles as a teen. Nadal had won six such titles before he turned 20.

This match also brought to an end the 19-match winning streak of Medvedev. Alcaraz handled the weather conditions well. His aggressive but patient gameplay reaped rewards for him in both the sets. Alcaraz smashed 18 winners as compared to just five by Medvedev and won 10 of 13 net points in his all-round win.

The Spaniard utilised his drop shot frequently to gain an advantage. "Of course winning a tournament, it gives you a lot of confidence [entering Miami]," the Spaniard said, looking ahead to the year's second ATP Masters 1000 event.

"I am playing great. Of course today, the conditions today were pretty tough. Of course, Daniil did not play at his best, obviously. All I can say is I am really happy with my performance, the way that I [was] playing this tournament. I am looking forward to playing this level in Miami as well," added Alcaraz.

Before this, their previous meeting was at Wimbledon in 2021, where Medvedev won in straight sets. Alcaraz also became the first man to clinch the Indian Wells title without losing a set since Roger Federer in 2017.

Medvedev, who was at number 12 in ATP Rankings as recently as February 12, will make it back to the top five after winning consecutive titles at Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai and finishing as Indian Wells runners-up.