Carlos Alcaraz made more history at the BNP Paribas Open, where he became the ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double. The 19-year-old was faultless throughout his run in Indian Wells, not dropping a set en route to his third ATP Masters 1000 crown.
The Spaniard, who defeated seeds Felix Auger-Aliassime, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, returned to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings following his title triumph in the Californian desert.
Carlos Alcaraz, becomes youngest Miami Open champion and first from Spain
“It feels amazing to lift the trophy here, to recover the No. 1 [ranking]. I would say this has been the perfect tournament,” reflected Alcaraz, who reached the 100 match wins milestone earlier in the week. “It was good for me, [at] this tournament that I really wanted to win, and for me, it’s amazing.”
Alcaraz joins countryman Rafael Nadal as the only players to win at least three Masters 1000 titles as a teenager, with Nadal having won six before turning 20. Holding a 14-1 record on the season, Alcaraz will turn his attention to the Miami Open presented by Itaú, where he will aim to maintain his red-hot form. To remain No. 1, Alcaraz must successfully defend his Miami title.
Top 5 stars Casper Ruud and Daniil Medvedev also make the journey from California to south Florida as they try to stop Alcaraz from becoming the eighth player to complete the calendar-year Sunshine Double. Ruud lost to the Spaniard in last year’s Miami final, while Medvedev will be aiming to start a new winning streak after Alcaraz ended his 19-match unbeaten run in the Indian Wells title match.
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ATP Tour Communications contributed to this column
