In the final of Indian Wells, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev in two sets, 6-7 and 1-6. The Spaniard had to stage a comeback from being 3-0 down in the first set.
The Spaniard, who had not won a tournament since his victory in July on the grass of Wimbledon, has now matched the 13 titles won by his countryman Nico Almagro.
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How Much Money Will Alcaraz Make For Winning the Indian Wells Title?
For winning the Indian Wells title, Alcaraz takes home a prize of $1,100,000 (€1,014,601). Interestingly, this is less than what he received in the previous edition, as in 2023, he pocketed $1,262,220, making it $162,220 less this time.
It’s worth noting that Iga Swiatek, the women’s champion, also earns the same amount.
As for the finalists in the singles draw, Daniil Medvedev and Maria Sakkari each earn $585,000 (€539,583).
Alcaraz Claims Back-to-Back Indian Wells Titles, Achieving Rare Milestones in Tennis History
For the second consecutive year, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev clashed for the BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells—and for the second year in a row, Alcaraz emerged victorious.
“Winning this tournament means a lot to me,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “The week before it began I had a lot of doubts about my ankle—I remember my first practice here, it was just 30 minutes with no movement, and probably the first practice with tennis players, really good tennis players, it was really tough for me because I was not playing my best. I was not feeling well with my ankle.”
“But once I stepped on the court for my first round I started to feel better, and as I said after every match I was feeling better and better, and I’m really, really happy to be able to win this tournament again.”
With this win, Alcaraz achieved several notable milestones:
He became the first man in eight years to successfully defend an Indian Wells title. The last player to accomplish this feat was Novak Djokovic, who won three consecutive titles from 2014 to 2016.
Alcaraz became only the second man in history to win five Masters 1000 titles before turning 21. Joining the ranks of his compatriot Rafael Nadal, who achieved this remarkable feat by winning nine titles before his 21st birthday.
This victory marked Alcaraz’s first title since Wimbledon. Despite reaching the final in Cincinnati and four semifinals, including at the US Open and ATP Finals, since his second Grand Slam triumph last July, Alcaraz had not claimed a title until now. His return to the winner’s circle came in the desert of Indian Wells.
Alcaraz’s Dominant Display Secures Fifth Masters 1000 Title, Defeating Medvedev in Indian Wells Final
After overcoming No. 6-ranked Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals and halting No. 3-ranked Jannik Sinner’s 19-match winning streak in the semifinals, Carlos Alcaraz faced a tough challenge early on in Sunday’s final against Medvedev—the world No. 4—who quickly surged to a 3-0 lead.
However, Alcaraz swiftly broke back to level the first set, leading to a closely contested tie-break that lasted 69 minutes, ultimately won by Alcaraz.
In the second set, Alcaraz dominated from the outset, establishing a 3-0 lead and maintaining his momentum to secure a straight-set victory.
Despite committing three more unforced errors than Medvedev (26 to 23), Alcaraz outshined him with more than twice as many winners (24 to 11). Notably, the Spaniard’s forehand contributed to 19 of his 24 winners.
With this win, Alcaraz clinched his fifth Masters 1000 title, adding to his victories at Miami and Madrid in 2022, and Indian Wells and Madrid in 2023. This triumph marks the 13th tour-level title of his burgeoning career.
