Indian Wells
Alcaraz escapes ‘bother’ vs. Rinderknech, extends excellent season in Indian Wells
Spaniard trailed by a set and a break
March 10, 2026
Clive Brunskill/Getty Pictures
Carlos Alcaraz improves to 14-0 on the season.
By ATP Workers
Carlos Alcaraz turned a sticky state of affairs right into a runaway victory with a scintillating near his night showdown with Arthur Rinderknech on Monday on the BNP Paribas Open. Trailing the big-serving Frenchman by a set and an early break, Alcaraz turned the match on its head for a snug 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2 victory in Indian Wells, extending his excellent begin to the 2026 season to 14-0.
“He was enjoying his greatest tennis, I’d say, within the first, the start of the second. For me, it was actually, actually troublesome,” mentioned Alcaraz, who was pegged again by an aggressive begin from Rinderknech. “I bought in bother, to be sincere, however simply actually proud of the way in which that I handled all the things that was taking place. I accepted it, stored going, stayed robust mentally after which tried to do some bit completely different… I feel I simply began to play extra strong, ready for my probabilities.”
Alcaraz practically stole a decent opening set, however mishit a forehand on set level at 6/5 after clawing again from 2/5. Rinderknech took full benefit to take the tie-break, then pressed house his benefit with a gap break within the second set.
However after saving each break factors in opposition to him within the opening set with fearless tennis, Rinderknech couldn’t consolidate that early break in set two. Alcaraz broke on 4 of 10 break probabilities throughout units two and three, in response to Infosys ATP Stats, and overwhelmed his opponent after discovering his groove on the stadium court docket.
Even a minor ankle fear couldn’t cease Alcaraz’s race to the end, with a misstep briefly inflicting concern early in set two. Whereas Alcaraz plans to have his physio try the ankle, his play appeared to supply all of the solutions he wanted: “I moved within the third set completely, so hopefully tomorrow goes to be like nothing in any respect,” he mentioned.
Along with stretching his successful streak to begin the season — a run that features titles on the Australian Open and Doha — Alcaraz additionally earned his thirty second straight victory on outside arduous courts, relationship again to Miami final yr. Alcaraz additionally improved to 6-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head in opposition to Rinderknech, who has now misplaced 11 of his previous 12 units in opposition to the No. 1 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings.
Alcaraz will subsequent convey a 5-1 Lexus ATP Head2Head report into his last-16 assembly with Casper Ruud. The Thirteenth-seeded Norwegian additionally got here from behind to advance on Monday, beating twenty fourth seed Valentin Vacherot 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
In tremendous kind 🔥@DaniilMedwed dismisses Baez 6-4, 6-0 to succeed in the fourth spherical in Indian Wells.@BNPPARIBASOPEN | #TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/CMbrY5KfvS
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 10, 2026
Daniil Medvedev closed out the boys’s night motion with a 6-4, 6-0 choice in opposition to Sebastian Baez on Stadium 2. Each males entered the match with a Tour-leading 14 wins this season, and with Monday’s end result Medvedev grew to become the primary man to succeed in 15 singles victories on the yr.
The World No. 11 is on a six-match successful streak relationship again to the beginning of his Dubai title run late final month.
