Carlos Alcaraz reaches consecutive BNP Paribas open finals

World Number 2, Carlos Alcaraz, bounced back from a slow start after a rain delay and dominated his opponent, extending his winning streak at Indian Wells to 11-0.

The 20-year-old Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, reached the finals of the BNP Paribas Open for the second time in a row after defeating Jannik Sinner in a tough match on Saturday.

In a thrilling encounter, Alcaraz secured a 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over the Italian player, who came into the semi-finals with an unbeaten record in 2024, winning 16 consecutive matches (19 in total). This win helped Alcaraz level their head-to-head record at 4-4.

The match faced a delay due to rain, causing a pause in play for three hours. Despite Sinner’s strong start and winning the opening set 6-1 after the restart, Alcaraz gradually improved his game, leveling the match before dominating Sinner in the third set, winning it 6-2.

Alcaraz attributed his mental strength and tactical adjustments for his victory, emphasising the importance of staying strong mentally in such challenging matches.

He expressed his happiness with the win and credited his changes in gameplay for turning the match in his favor.

“I stayed strong mentally,” a pleased Alcaraz said after the semi-final win. “I think that’s a really important part in this game. You have to be strong mentally if you want to overcome these kinds of matches, a set down against someone who’s playing an unbelievable game. I’m really happy with the things that I’ve done after that.

“I changed my style a little bit, I changed my game a little bit and I think it worked very well. I’m really happy to beat Jannik and be in the final again.”

“I had to defend better than I did in the first set. I had to put more balls in, try to stay strong on the court… I changed my return style. I was more on the back of the court, putting some returns in, getting myself more in the rallies.”

In addition to securing his place in the finals, Alcaraz achieved some remarkable milestones. He became the youngest player to achieve 11 consecutive men’s singles victories at Indian Wells, and he joined a prestigious list of players who reached back-to-back finals at the event. Moreover, he became the sixth player under 21 to claim 25 ATP top 10 wins.

Alcaraz’s impressive performance sets up an exciting final, where he will face the winner of the match between Danil Medvedev and Tommy Paul, as he aims to clinch back-to-back titles at Indian Wells.