Carlos Alcaraz is in search of his third consecutive title at Indian Wells. The Spanish tennis player has already passed his first two tests in the tournament, defeating Quentin Halys in the opener and then Denis Shapovalov. In that latter match, he explained that the fans were one of the reasons he was able to perform at a high level.
Last year, Alcaraz starred in a bizarre episode at Indian Wells when his quarterfinal match against Alexander Zverev had to be delayed due to a bee invasion in the stadium. In tribute to that unusual incident, a group of fans dressed as bees ‘buzzed’ in support of Carlos during his match against Shapovalov on Monday.
“It helped me a lot, because during the whole first set, I was looking at them and laughing. And I always say that when I’m laughing, when I’m having fun on the court, I show good tennis,” Alcaraz explained during the post-match press conference, as shared by Tennis.com.
The Spanish star went further, even crediting those fans as one of the reasons he felt so energized on the court during Monday’s match. “Probably thanks to them, I could show good tennis, as well,” he said.
When asked how he first noticed the fans dressed as bees, Alcaraz explained, “I didn’t realize until the second game, when the camera put them on the screen. So it was funny.” He then revealed that he interacted with the fans afterward. “I took a selfie with them at the end, because I think they deserved it,” he added.
Alcaraz comments on the new surface
In the days leading up to the start of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, Carlos Alcaraz had been one of the players who voiced his concerns regarding the tournament’s surface change. He was initially surprised by the decision and didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the change.
However, after his victory against Shapovalov, Alcaraz shared a more positive view. “Right now, after practicing a few times and having played two matches, it’s kind of the same court—really slow, with a lot of bounce,” the 21-year-old explained. “I didn’t feel any difference, which for me is good. They said that they changed it, but if nobody told me, I would think it’s the same.”
Next challenge for Alcaraz
After knocking out Denis Shapovalov in the Round of 32, Carlos Alcaraz is now aiming to break into the top eight of the tournament and stay in contention for his third consecutive title at Indian Wells. On Wednesday, he will face his toughest challenge yet, as he plays against Grigor Dimitrov, currently ranked 15th in the ATP, in the Round of 16.