Carlos Alcaraz Preparing For Battle Against ‘Ambitious’ Opponent, Eyeing Three-Peat At Indian Wells

The double reigning champion, Carlos Alcaraz, clashes for a difficult semi-final test of the British left “ambitious” British Jack Draper on Saturday when he aims to make the next step towards a rare Atp Indian Wells Masters on three tours. The world number three in Spain seeks to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win three consecutive titles in the California desert. And despite his 3-1 file against Draper, he will not take the world number 14 lightly. “I think he has a lot of rhythm, a lot of rhythm, big plans,” said Alcaraz. “I think that his style of play is fairly well suited to these conditions.

“It seems that it is in very good shape at the moment,” added Alcaraz. “I think he is ambitious, and he always goes. So that makes him a really difficult opponent.”

Two of Draper’s defeats against Alcaraz came back retired – notably to Indian Wells in 2023 and the Australian Open of the fourth round this year – where he won three consecutive games in five sets before facing Alcaraz in the round of 16.

“I already faced him once here and I was a little injured in this match, so I can’t wait to get another blow,” said Draper, who reached the US US semi-finals last year but was hampered early this season by hip tendinitis.

“He brings so many things to the court, in particular under these conditions,” added Draper, who won his only victory over Alcaraz at the Queen’s Club last year. “He puts the very high reference, and it’s good for a player like me because I look at him and plays against him and I think what I have to do to be at his level.”

In the other semi -final, Daniil Medvedev will also seek to reach a third consecutive final – after failing against Alcaraz in each of the last two years.

The 29-year-old Russian, a finalist of the Grand Chelem six times, jumped for joy after raising a victory of 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7) over Arthur son, 20, in the quarter-finals to win a last confrontation with another young cannon in Holger Rune of Denmark.

Medvedev won two of his three previous meetings, including a quarter -final victory in Indian Wells last year.

“(Son) talent is really strong,” said Medvedev about the Dane, whose star has faded a little since an early victory over Djokovic during the Paris Masters 2022 final.

“He probably has every time that you can have in tennis. He probably knows that sometimes he is not consistent at the start of the tournaments, but when he is deep, he is a player difficult to beat. I need to play well.”

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