Carlos Alcaraz’s crunch Indian Wells test against opponent who made him ‘feel 13 years old’
Carlos Alcaraz is safely through to the second week in Indian Wells, with little seemingly troubling him across his opening two matches.
The Spaniard’s straight-sets wins over Quentin Halys and Denis Shapovalov have extended his winning run at the event to 14 matches, and he looks well-placed to claim a third straight title.
However, could his fourth-round match prove a significant stumbling block?
Next up for Alcaraz is Grigor Dimitrov, an opponent who has seemingly discovered the blueprint to beating the Spanish superstar.
Alcaraz’s early dominance
With a career-high of world No 3, an ATP Finals title, and three Grand Slam semi-finals to his name, Dimitrov has undoubtedly had an impressive career.
However, Alcaraz’s record of 36 weeks at world No 1 and four Grand Slam titles places him ahead of most, and the Spaniard’s class was evident in the first three meetings between the two.
The Spaniard prevailed 6-1, 6-3 when they faced each other for the first time at the 2022 Paris Masters, with Alcaraz then following that up with two further comfortable victories.
In 2023, he defeated the Bulgarian 6-2, 7-5 on the clay of Madrid before he downed Dimitrov 6-4, 6-4 on the grass courts of Queen’s just a few months later, winning the title at both tournaments.
The tide turns
Dimitrov still trails in their head-to-head, but a resurgence in form – beginning in the Autumn of 2023 – ultimately led to two significant wins against Alcaraz.
The first came in the Round of 16 at the Shanghai Masters, with the Bulgarian rallying from a set down to shock the Spaniard 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Having previously lost his first seven sets against Alcaraz, Dimitrov has now won four in a row, thanks to an even more impressive win at the Miami Open last spring.
Alcaraz was riding a nine-match win streak heading in, though he could do little to match Dimitrov in an emphatic 6-2, 6-4 quarter-final victory for the Bulgarian.
Dimitrov would ultimately reach the final, beating Alexander Zverev before a loss to Jannik Sinner, and he undoubtedly left Alcaraz frustrated and confused on the court.
“Well, I think he played amazing tennis,” reflected Alcaraz post-match. “Almost perfect, if I can say ‘perfect.’
“I couldn’t find solutions. I couldn’t find a way to make him feel uncomfortable on the court. You know, it was a great game from his side.
“I have a lot of frustrations right now, because he made me feel like I’m 13 years old – it was crazy.
“I was talking to my team saying that I don’t know what I have to do. I don’t know, you know, his weakness. I don’t know anything.”
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Advantage Dimitrov?
Dimitrov certainly heads into this match-up with momentum in their rivalry, but the odds do seem to be stacked in Alcaraz’s favour.
That is partly due to the Bulgarian’s recent physical struggles, with Dimitrov having retired injured at the last three Grand Slam tournaments – alongside further retirements in Brisbane and Dubai this season.
He has had some success in Indian Wells previously, reaching the last four in 2021 and last eight in 2022, though they are the only times he has reached the last eight in 11 tournament appearances.
Dimitrov’s 14-11 record in Indian Wells is almost incomparable to Alcaraz’s staggering 18-2 record at the event, with Alcaraz currently holding the highest win percentage in the event’s history.
Alcaraz has to be considered the favourite for this match, and with Sinner absent and Zverev already out, there is a significant opportunity for him to claim a third straight title in the desert.
But this match will be a huge test of his title credentials, and it would be unwise to discount Dimitrov entirely.
