Carlos Alcaraz won 2024 Indian Wells with ankle injury

• Carlos Alcaraz won 2024 Indian Wells title after a fierce battle in the finals against Daniil Medvedev
• Alcaraz displayed remarkable athleticism throughout the competition in the Californian desert
• He managed to successfully defend his Indian Wells title

World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz won 2024 Indian Wells title after a fierce battle in the finals against Daniil Medvedev.

Alcaraz displayed remarkable athleticism throughout the competition in the Californian desert. He managed to successfully defend his Indian Wells title by 7-6(5) 6-1 victory over Medvedev.

Given his physical concerns prior to the event, it was a good surprise for Alcaraz to defend his BNP Paribas Open title.

Carlos Alcaraz Won 2024 Indian Wells Despite Injury Concerns

Alcaraz withdrew from Rio Open in Brazil citing injury and his fan base did not expect him to win at Indian Wells this year.

He rolled his ankle at the Rio Open and he wasn’t in his top shape in California but he gave it his best and it paid off.

Carlos Alcaraz. Photo/beINSPORTS

Alcaraz braved through the discomfort in each of his matches at Indian Wells leaving no sign of weakness which his opponents would capitalise on.

However, the Spaniard believed that he could talk about the issue once he successfully defended his victory at this ATP Masters 1000 event.

Judging from his extensive pre-tournament medical care, it seems he had serious concerns about his capacity to compete at Indian Wells.

Alcaraz admitted that he also had doubts about his performance at Indian Wells but he kept it all to himself. He decided to give it his best

“Winning this tournament means a lot to me because the week before it began, I had a lot of doubts about my ankle,” he said in a press conference after the finals.

“I remember my first practice here was just 30 minutes with no movement and probably the first practice with really good tennis players was really tough for me, because I thought I was not going to play my best.

He added that the discomfort with his ankle faded away as soon as he played his first match. It made him realize that he could still win.

“I was not feeling well with my ankle, so a lot of doubts for me. But once I stepped on the court, the first round, I started to feel better. I was thinking about if I could play my best or not. It was not feeling well in my ankle.”

How Did Carlos Alcaraz Win at Indian Wells With Ankle Injury?

Alcaraz got daily treatment from his medical personnel and only experienced low levels of pain when playing. His team also supported him through recovery.

They were there in his practice matches which boosted his confidence and he endured the pain of the rolled ankle.

Carlos Alcaraz. Photo/The Independent

Alcaraz continued by acknowledging that his quick start to the match against Medvedev was due to nervousness.

The Russian took an early 3-0 lead in the opening set as Alcaraz struggled with his ball touch. Luckily for him, he turned it all around in three sets and composed himself.

“In three games you can turn it around and I started to play better. I calmed myself, started to control my emotions and I found a way to win,” he said.

Given his pre-event injury history, Alcaraz’s victory at Indian Wells was all the more remarkable. Tennis icon Martina Navratilova said those who questioned the young Spaniard following his decline in play following his Wimbledon victory last year were misinformed.

Navratilova implored that Alcaraz still has a lot of titles to win because he is a great tennis player despite people writing him off too early.

The veteran WTA player said Alcaraz is in his early 20s and the worst mistake anyone could make is to wish him away.

This was the Spaniard’s first victory after winning 2023 Wimbledon against Novak Djokovic. He suffered different injuries and fatigue which saw him lose all his matches until he stepped into California two weeks ago.