"Dream come true again" - Carlos Alcaraz proud to regain World No. 1 ranking with Indian Wells 2023 title, wishes to play Novak Djokovic
Carlos Alcaraz clinched his maiden Indian Wells Open title with a dominant performance against Daniil Medvedev on Sunday. The young Spaniard outclassed his Russian opponent 6-3, 6-2 in an hour and 10 minutes.
Alcaraz did not drop a set throughout his Indian Wells campaign. Furthermore, his victory in the final helped him reclaim the World No. 1 ranking from Novak Djokovic.
When asked about his thoughts on reclaiming the top spot in the rankings, the 19-year-old said it was "a dream come true."
"Well, it feels great to be back on the No. 1, you know. Of course every player on the ATP wants to be No. 1, and for me it's a dream come true again," Alcaraz said in his post-match presser. "Obviously being in front of such great players like Novak, like the top players, for me, it's an amazing feeling."
19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz becomes World No.1 again by ending Daniil Medvedev's winning streak in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 🔥
#CarlosAlcaraz #IndianWells #Tennis https://t.co/ftV5Hp1tk7
It's been almost a year since Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the Madrid Open semifinal. The Spaniard voiced his desire to play against the Serb again and hopes to see him back on the tour very soon.
"Novak is one of the best players in the world. That's obvious. You know, I will say that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. I really wanted to play against Novak again. We miss him on tour, and hopefully to have him back very, very soon. But yeah, of course it could be amazing to play against him again," Alcaraz added.
Alcaraz is now a three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, becoming just the second teenager to do so after his idol Rafael Nadal.
He also became the youngest player to win the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami).
"Looking forward to playing this level in Miami" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz was delighted with his performance at Indian Wells. However, the teenager isn't one to rest on his laurels and is already gearing up to defend his title at the Miami Masters.
"Of course winning a tournament, it gives you a lot of confidence [entering Miami]. All I can say is I'm really happy with my performance, the way that I [was] playing this tournament. I'm looking forward to playing this level in Miami as well," he said in his press conference.