Carlos Alcaraz reappears this Saturday in Indian Wells after the hamstring injury he suffered in the final of the Rio de Janeiro tournament in his right leg. Without too much time to recover, the Murcian tennis player is the only one who has options to unseat Novak Djokovic from number 1, as long as it reaches at least the final.
“I’m ready and I feel good”, has assured the current world number 2. Champion in Buenos Aires and finalist in Rio de Janeiro, who presents himself with a balance of eight wins and a single loss at the start of 2023, after not being able to play the Australian Open not even a week ago in Acapulco, due to the same hamstring injury. .
alcaraz will make his debut this Saturday in a setting where he reached the semifinals last year (lost to Nadal) and which was the springboard to a spectacular season in which he finished with 5 titles and becoming the youngest number 1 in history with only 19 years. “For me, winning the title and being number 1 again is a good goal and I want to go for it, although I do not consider myself the favourite”, he assured in his presentation. The most direct rivals of him theoretically will be:
Daniel Medvedev
6 world championships, 3 titles in 2023 (19 wins and 2 losses)
The Russian tennis player appears as the natural favorite to win the first Masters 1,000 of the season after starting the year conquering the titles of Rotterdam, Doha and Dubaiwhere he got rid of in the semifinals of the same Djokovicending a streak of 21 victories in a row for the current number 1, who will not be able to defend that position in Indian Wells as he is not vaccinated with Covid-19. Medvedev and alcaraz They could only cross paths if both reach the final.
Stefanos Tsitsipas
3 world, Australian Open finalist (13 wins and 2 losses)
The Greek tennis player is the only one, along with alcarazwhich has options to unseat Djokovic from number 1 on the American tour although, for this, he would have to do a double in Indian Wells and in the Masters 1,000 in Miami (March 22).
Located in the lower part of the draw, along with Medvedev and Rublev, possible rivals in the semifinals, Tsitsipas arrives without rhythm after being injured in Rotterdam. His performance at the Australian Open, in which he played the final against Djokovic, is the best reference in 2023.
taylor fritz
5 world championships, 1 title in 2023 (14 wins and 4 losses)
Indian Wells defending champion By beating Nadal in the final last year, the American tennis player aims to be Alcaraz’s first great rival in the Californian tournament where both would meet in a theoretical quarterfinal, where the Australian also aspires to reach Alex de Minaur (champion in Acapulco) or the Danish Holger RuneAlcaraz’s generation partner.