Alcaraz Enjoys Victory Over Dimitrov

Carlos Alcaraz thoroughly enjoyed his match against Grigor Dimitrov. The Bulgarian, who fell victim to the Spaniard in the Indian Wells Masters 1,000 round of 16 (6-1, 6-1), is a free spirit on the circuit, a player who is hard to predict and always leaves a good impression. He can play deep on the court, approach the net, alternate between offensive and defensive backhands, and change the pace of the game with slices and inside-out forehands.

He is a very entertaining player, and Alcaraz exchanged smiles with him occasionally, delivering spectacular points and generally having fun. Despite both players having a history on the circuit, with five previous encounters and a balanced rivalry, Alcaraz won the first three matches, while Dimitrov claimed the last two, in Shanghai 2023 and Miami 2024, on a court very similar to this one.

This 'rivalry' between two players who view tennis as a source of enjoyment rather than suffering was almost imperceptible on the court, where Alcaraz dominated with great authority, yet Dimitrov also danced around, leaving a good impression on fans with his sliced shots, pirouettes near the net, and a backhand from another era.

This Dimitrov, however, is more focused on aesthetics than competition. In Indian Wells, with two previous victories against Nuno Borges and Gael Monfils—the latter after a three-hour match—he has turned around an inconsistent season marred by injuries, which followed semi-final achievements in Brisbane with first-round exits at the Australian Open, Doha, and Dubai, two of which were due to injury.

At 33, the Bulgarian remains a formidable opponent on these courts, but Alcaraz, in a tournament where he has already secured fifteen consecutive victories, was unstoppable. Both with his serve, losing only six points until leading 6-1, 3-1, and in the overall game, having points to win twelve of the first fourteen games. While Dimitrov struggled with serves, forehands, and backhands into the net and double faults, Alcaraz entertained with his virtuosity and tenacity, captivating some of the celebrities present this Wednesday in the Californian desert, such as businessman Bill Gates, a great tennis enthusiast.

Despite the strong winds affecting the American tournament, Alcaraz needed only an hour and fourteen minutes for a victory that propels him to fifteen consecutive wins on these courts and sets up a quarter-final clash against Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo, who surprised Australian Alex de Minaur.

Cerúndolo and Alcaraz, good friends, have faced each other twice, the most recent being at the Queen's tournament on grass, with the Spaniard winning in 2024. The other encounter occurred at the ITF level, the third tier of tennis, when the Argentine defeated him in the semi-finals of a tournament in Manacor in 2019.