Carlos Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to win the BNP Paribas Open title and regain the world’s No. 1 rating. The 19-year-old Spaniard will transfer from second to first within the ATP Tour rankings on Monday, displacing Novak Djokovic. The Serb withdrew from Indian Wells earlier than the match started when he could not acquire entry to the U.S. as a result of he is unvaccinated for COVID-19.
“For me, it’s a dream come true once more,” Alcaraz stated. “Clearly being in entrance of such nice gamers like Novak, it’s a tremendous feeling.”
“I might say this has been the proper match,” he stated. Within the girls’s remaining, Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (11), 6-4 and handed the world’s second-ranked participant simply her second loss this yr.
Final yr, Alcaraz grew to become the youngest man to achieve No. 1 in ATP historical past after his title on the U.S. Open. He achieved one other mark within the third spherical at Indian Wells. That is when Alcaraz notched his a hundredth profession match victory, the second-quickest participant behind John McEnroe to take action.
Alcaraz additionally grew to become the primary man to win the match with out dropping a set since Roger Federer in 2017 and the youngest man to win the title within the desert.
“I actually belief in each shot that I hit,” he stated. “If I miss, I don’t thoughts.”
Alcaraz hit 19 winners and had 10 unforced errors whereas maintaining Medvedev off-balance with a gradual array of serve-and-volley and drop pictures. {The teenager} by no means confronted a break level whereas opening leads of 3-0 within the first set and 4-0 within the second.
“What I enhance quite a bit is to don’t take the stress, simply to play relaxed,” Alcaraz stated. “That’s why I present a fantastic stage, as a result of I really feel like I’ve no stress. I take pleasure in. I’m enjoying relaxed.”
Medvedev’s 19-match successful streak ended. It went again to his title run in Rotterdam in February. He then gained tournaments in Doha and Dubai.
“I need to congratulate you for the work you might have carried out in the previous few months,” Alcaraz informed his opponent. “Successful three titles in a row and reaching the finals right here is a tremendous achievement.”
Alcaraz and Rybakina earned $1,262,220 every for his or her wins.
Rybakina carried the momentum from her straight-set semifinal upset of top-ranked Iga Swiatek into the ultimate and beat Sabalenka for the primary time in 5 profession conferences.
For the primary time of their budding rivalry, the match did not go three units. Sabalenka went the space to beat Rybakina within the Australian Open remaining in January. In that match, Sabalenka fired 17 aces and rallied from a set all the way down to win her first Grand Slam title.
This time, the Tenth-seeded Rybakina had seven aces and No. 2 seed Sabalenka dedicated 10 double faults. Sabalenka gained simply 11 of 35 second-serve factors.
“I might say that I used to be tremendous upset with my serve, so I used to be again to previous habits,” she stated. “I used to be like a little bit bit overreacting on issues, and I wasn’t there within the first two video games within the second set.”
Rybakina broke for leads of 2-0 and 5-2 within the second set earlier than Sabalenka closed to 5-4. However Rybakina served out the victory in simply over two hours.
“This tiebreak was actually epic, I might say, with all these double faults and nerves,” Rybakina stated. “Ultimately, it was simply specializing in each level and attempt to combat until the top.”
Rybakina improved her match file to 16-4 this yr; Sabalenka fell to 17-2.
“This robust loss will encourage me extra as a result of I don’t wish to lose within the finals,” Sabalenka stated. “That is the worst.”
Throughout the victory ceremony, Rybakina, the present Wimbledon champion, informed the gang it was the primary time she’d crushed Sabalenka.
Sabalenka stepped ahead, took the mic and stated, “I’ll be sure that it was the final one.” Then she smiled.