Federer and Nadal outdone by Carlos Alcaraz after Indian Wells triumph

Novak Djokovic jokes about his age at the Australian Open

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Carlos Alcaraz once again showcased why he is considered the future of the ATP Tour on Sunday as he cruised past Daniil Medvedev to lift the Indian Wells title. The 19-year-old has outdone Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in different metrics as he prepares to defend his Miami Open crown.

Medvedev enjoyed a 19-match winning run ahead of Sunday’s California final, triumphing in his previous three tournaments in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai.

But he was no match for Alcaraz, who recorded a dominant 6-3 6-2 win without facing a single break point.

The Spanish starlet lifted his first Indian Wells title without dropping a set, becoming the first man since his compatriot Nadal to do so over six matches – yet managing to do so at an even younger age.

Alcaraz has also regained his world No 1 ranking after losing it to Novak Djokovic in January.

He is now a three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, also reigning in Miami and Madrid. With six, Nadal is the only player to have won three such titles as a teenager.

Alcaraz will aim for a fourth from Saturday when he begins his Miami Open defence.

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After beating Medvedev, he said: “I’m playing great. Of course today, the conditions today were pretty tough. Daniil didn’t play at his best, obviously.

“All I can say is I’m really happy with my performance, the way that I was playing this tournament. I’m looking forward to playing this level in Miami as well.”

As the reigning champion of Indian Wells and the Miami Open, he is the ninth and the youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double.

Djokovic has achieved that feat four times, Roger Federer three, and Nadal has never been victorious in both legs having never won in Miami. But again, Alcaraz has done it at a younger age than any of them.

Alcaraz’s record in tour-level finals continues to improve, extending it to 8-3 with his Indian Wells success.

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He is now 3-0 in ATP Masters 1000 finals and 14-9 overall against top 10 opponents.

Alcaraz lost his world No 1 status after Djokovic lifted the Australian Open at the start of the year, which the Spaniard missed due to injury.

But Djokovic was absent from Indian Wells, and he also won’t be at Miami because of his Covid vaccination refusal.

Despite his absence, Alcaraz must defend his Miami Open title to remain at the ATP summit.

However, after returning to action in February, he won the Argentina Open, reached the Rio Open final and has now tasted victory at Indian Wells. He’ll be beaming with confidence.

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