Alcaraz stakes claim for Indian Wells repeat

Holder Carlos Alcaraz staked his claim Wednesday on defending his 2023 title at the ATP-WTA Indian Wells Masters.

The second-ranked Spaniard who defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final here a year ago, left no doubt as to his 2024 intentions.

“I’m coming here to defend, It will be difficult, the best in the world are playing.

I’ve been feeling well in practice; I’m here to do it, trna and repeat this title,” he said

The 20-year-old said the ankle injury which forced him to retire after two games in his opening match in Brazil a fortnight ago is “feeling better.”

He gave the problem a test run at the weekend in Las Vegas where he beat his tennis idol Rafael Nadal in an exhibition.

“I’m not thinking about the injury or anything else except trying to win the title again.”

Alcaraz said that the fame and high profile he has gained in the past few years during his run to tennis prominence cuts both ways.

The player known for always keeping a smile on court said it can sometimes be a big job to stay in control of his life.

“I try not to think too much about success, I want to stay away from the noise,” he said.

“But it can be difficult to deal with. I try to enjoy my time on court. Sometimes the bad moments can come to you, but I try to focus on myself and my team.

He added: “I try to smile all the time. making jokes lets me stay myself.

“Fame and attention are good most of the time, but sometimes you wake up in a bad mood and you just want to hide and not be recognised.

“I try to take it as natural as I can.”