By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz shares his top aim and state of his leg injury ahead of his first hard-court match in more than four months.
Photo credit: BNP Paribas Open Facebook
Squealing sneakers across the court amplified Carlos Alcaraz's leg strength and deep desire.
In a pulsating practice session with Frances Tiafoe at Indian Wells today, US Open champion Alcaraz looked like a man going places.
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When the rubber hits the road for his opener, Alcaraz is fueled by a powerful aim: Win this BNP Paribas Open and regain the world No. 1 ranking.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who is unvaccinated and unable to enter the U.S. under current COVID-19 travel policy, withdrew from Indian Wells on Monday.
In Djokovic's absence, Alcaraz is the top seed trying to get back to the top spot.
"Of course a Masters 1000 is always tough and I really want to do a good result here," Alcaraz told the media in Indian Wells today. "I love this tournament as well. For me, winning the tournament and being No. 1 again is a really good goal for me and I really want to go for it."
The 19-year-old Alcaraz, who will try to defend his Miami Open crown later this month, will open Indian Wells against either American wild card Brandon Holt or qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The second-ranked Spaniard arrives in Palm Springs fresh off back-to-back clay-court finals. Alcaraz defeated 2021 Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie to win Buenos Aires before bowing to Norrie in the Rio final.
Alcaraz suffered a leg injury in Rio that forced him out of Acapulco and out of a scheduled lucrative Las Vegas exhibition. So what's the state of his leg ahead of his first hard-court match since he was injured against Holger Rune at the Rolex Paris Masters last October?
Today, Alcaraz showed strength and explosiveness pushing off the leg and said the break he took after Rio has helped him fully recover.
"You have to be patient. I'm a lucky player that I have a really good team behind me," Alcaraz said. "I have a really good physio as well so we know how to recover an injury well.
"The last injury Sunday before we start the physical training to recover and almost in a week I was playing again. I'm really patient and I'm 100 percent recovered from the injury."
The youngest year-end ATP No. 1 in history was knocked out of the Australian Open last January due to a right leg injury he picked up in practice. Alcaraz chalks up his recent injuries to "bad luck" but believes he's learned a valuable lesson in the process: schedule more break time between tournaments to rest and recover.
"I'm not worried about it all," Alcaraz said. "I would say it's bad luck. I'm doing the right things off the court and it's really important to the injury. I think I'm doing a great work. I just have bad luck sometimes.
"Playing of course a lot of days in a row like I did like 15 days in a row no days off is really tough. Of ocurse I'm gonna take that lesson probably during the year and have some days off during the tournament and not get injured, but I'm not going to worry about it."
One of the quickest players in the sport, Alcaraz's electrifying speed empowers him to step into the court and attack or drop back behind the baseline and defend. The teenage phenom showed his poise, power and transition skills in his epic Indian Wells quarterfinal loss to Rafael Nadal last March.
The 35-year-old Nadal endured ballistic body blows, a slew of drop shots and a sandstorm so severe it blew papers, towels, a baseball cap across the court and even knocked the net sticks out of place at one point. Force of nature Nadal battled past Alcaraz and the elements 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a three hour, 12-minute tennis tempest and afterward declared Alcaraz the total package.
“I think he has all the shots," Nadal said of Alcaraz last March. "He can play very aggressive. He can play defensive because he's super fast,” Nadal said of Alcaraz. “He can defend amazing balls. Of course, when he's playing aggressive, is difficult to stop him because his quality of the ball is very high.
“I think he has all the ingredients to become an amazing champion, no?"
Alcaraz has already shown all the assets to ascend to world No. 1 and now he's playing to regain it.
"I have a lot of confidence in myself," Alcaraz said. "I think I'm playing really well right now. on hard court. I think I'm a really good tennis player. I'm going to go for it.
"I'm not considering myself a favorite to win the tournament because it's a long time ago I played on hard court. There are a lot of good players in the draw that have a chance to win this tournament. But I will say if I have my chances to win the tournament, I'm going to take it."