Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic are joined by Carlos Alcaraz in a huge feat at Indian Wells

On Thursday night, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 7-6 to secure his spot in the semifinals of the prestigious Indian Wells Masters 1000. At just 21 years old, the young Spaniard reached a historic milestone in the California desert, one that had previously been accomplished only by the sport’s titans, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

In the nearly 50 years since the tournament began, only two players had reached four consecutive semifinals: Nadal and Djokovic. Now, Alcaraz has joined that exclusive group, with the potential to extend his streak in the coming years, given his age and exceptional talent.

Carlos first made it into the top four at Indian Wells in 2022, where he was defeated by his compatriot Nadal, who then lost the final to Taylor Fritz. However, Alcaraz got his revenge in 2023 and 2024, not only reaching the semifinals again but also claiming the title on both occasions.

Nevertheless, the young Spaniard has a long road ahead if he wishes to surpass the records of the two legends. Nadal holds the record for reaching the semifinals of the tournament eight times consecutively, from 2006 to 2013, while Djokovic follows closely with six appearances, spanning from 2011 to 2016.

Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz is satisfied with his performance

After his two-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo, Carlos Alcaraz reflected on his performance. “I think he played really good tennis today,” he said about the Argentine’s effort, during a press conference shared by Tennis.com. “He had a lot of chances in the first set, and I’m just pleased about saving all of them, and taking the only one that I had.”

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On his own performance, the Spanish star was candid. “Really happy with everything I’ve done today,” he explained. “I think I would say the conditions were tougher than yesterday. It was windier, colder – so it was really difficult for me to start the match.”

What’s next for Alcaraz?

After a demanding week of competition in the California desert, Carlos Alcaraz will have a brief rest on Friday before preparing for his semifinal match on Saturday. He will face Jack Draper, who defeated Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals. The other semifinal will feature Holger Rune against Daniil Medvedev.

The next record Alcaraz can reach

Just two matches away from another major milestone, Carlos Alcaraz has the opportunity to make history once again: by reaching three consecutive Indian Wells finals. The last player to achieve this feat was Roger Federer, who won the title in 2017 and finished as the runner-up in 2018 (to Juan Martín del Potro) and 2019 (to Dominic Thiem).

Should Alcaraz make it to the final, another prestigious record could be within his grasp: becoming one of just three players to have won three consecutive Indian Wells titles. The others to achieve this remarkable feat are Roger Federer (2004-2006) and Novak Djokovic (2014-2016).