Just a few days into the tournament, and with the main stars yet to make their debuts, the Indian Wells Masters 1000 has already sparked numerous comments from players regarding the change in surface that has been implemented for this edition of the event. Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev have all shared their thoughts on the matter.
Alcaraz, the current No. 3 in the ATP rankings, expressed his displeasure over the unexpected surface change at Indian Wells. “The court is a bit faster,” the young Spaniard said during a press conference this week after arriving in California. “It’s something I didn’t quite understand when I saw it. This tournament has been played on the same surface for 25 years, on the same court, but now it’s changed. I don’t know the reason, honestly.”
This candid statement from Alcaraz led to follow-up questions at the press conferences of other stars, many of whom had their first training sessions on the new surface in the past few days. What stands out, however, is the stark contrast in opinions.
“I will be honest with you, it’s okay. I like Indian Wells, I even like the courts now, but they seem to be almost slower than before, very slow,” explained Daniil Medvedev, according to Tennis.com. “I played two days, and they seemed very, very slow.”
The Russian star, currently ranked No. 6 in the world, acknowledged that he was still in the early stages of training on the new surface. “I just had two days, jet-lagged,” he said. “I don’t know what other players think… so let’s see how it plays during the tournament.”
Zverev’s view
Another prominent figure at Indian Wells will be Alexander Zverev, currently ranked No. 2 in the ATP standings. He is aiming for his first title of 2025 and his first-ever win in the California desert during his tenth appearance at the event.
Asked about the surface change, the German star gave a surprising response. “There’s a new surface? Feels the same to me, to be honest,” he said. “I practiced here for four days, and I didn’t notice it. Didn’t know anything about it.”
The most awaited debuts at Indian Wells
A couple of days into the tournament, some of the top players in the ATP rankings will make their Indian Wells debuts on Friday. Alexander Zverev, the best-ranked player in the tournament due to Jannik Sinner’s suspension, will face Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands in the round of 64. Additionally, Casper Ruud will play against Marcos Giron, while Medvedev will take on Bu Yunchaokete. Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will make their debuts on Saturday.