"Congratulations to the unstoppable" - Billie Jean King, Coco Gauff and tennis world react to Carlos Alcaraz's emphatic title win at Indian Wells 2023
Carlos Alcaraz registered a comprehensive straight-sets win against the in-form Daniil Medvedev to win his maiden title at the Indian Wells Masters on Sunday (March 19).
Alcaraz dominated the tournament, not dropping a single set. While Medvedev looked likely to end the Spaniard's run, it was Alcaraz who ousted the Russian, who was on a 19-match winning streak.
With the title win, Alcaraz has regained his position at the top of the ATP rankings, pushing Novak Djokovic to the second spot. This also marked the teenager's third Masters 1000 title, having already triumphed in Miami and Madrid.
Alcaraz later took to social media to express his delight at winning the Indian Wells title and thank his fans for their constant support.
"There's no feeling like victory! VERY HAPPY to win in Indian Wells and return to number one. Thank you for your constant support! Vamooos!!!" he captioned his Instagram post.
Tennis players past and present duly applauded Alcaraz for his title win. Billie Jean King called him "unstoppable" as she wrote:
"Congratulations to the unstoppable @carlosalcaraz! What a win at Indian Wells, and back to World No. 1!"
Former German tennis player Tommy Haas stated that Alcaraz "deserved" the title for his dominant performance.
"Incredible. Well deserved win @carlitosalcarazz," he commented.
Coco Gauff, who endured a quarterfinal exit at Indian Wells on the women's side, also congratulated Alcaraz.
"Congrats," Gauff said, inserting a few clapping hands emoji.
Here are a few other reactions from the tennis world:
"To lift the trophy here for me means a lot" - Carlos Alcaraz after winning Indian Wells 2023 title
While Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged his return to the top of the ATP rankings, he took pride in winning the title in Indian Wells.
"It means a lot to me. To recover the No. 1 [ranking] is crazy for me. But especially to lift the trophy here for me means a lot... I love this tournament," Alcaraz said post-match.
"I really enjoy my time here and of course I felt the love from the people from day one. For me, it's amazing to complete these 10 days like this," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz will next be heading into the Miami Open as the defending champion. The tournament's main draw is set to commence on Tuesday (March 21).