He has started the course late, stuck with a muscle injury in his right leg since December, without finding a good rhythm since the US Open. But Carlos Alcaraz He has already caught up with the peloton and is beginning to lead. He plays the third consecutive final this Sunday after recovering from a game with tricks and falls against Jannik Sinner in one hour and 52 minutes. His rival, Daniil Medvedev.
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He returned to the circuit at the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires, where he lifted the title; he linked with the ATP 500 in Rio and reached the final. There, Cameron Norrie and another injury left him without a trophy.
After a few days off, he has once again shown that he has plenty of desire, style, better than in recent months, and capacity for maximum suffering to face anything, even a game of ups and downs of his own and others like the semifinal yesterday. In this week of Indian Wells, recital after recital, with a good game and good manners: Kokkinakis, Griekspoor, Draper, Auger-Aliassime and Sinner all at once, to measure gasoline today with Daniil Medvedev.
This modern tennis classic between Alcaraz and Sinner was eagerly awaited for all that their last clash had entailed: five and a quarter hours at the US Open that symbolized a new level in this sport. And there were reminiscences of that clash: speed and power, strategy and blows for the videos, but also nerves, downturns and an Alcaraz whose spark went out and turned it on again. There were no fireworks, but a capacity for suffering and work. That he also wins games. In this field, the Murcian also begins to become a teacher.
Testing the first games, Alcaraz gets on the court to the rest, thus he finally beat Felix Auger-Aliassime, and puts pressure on the Italian’s hand, trembling at the fourth service turn, two double faults, which give air to the Spanish and the advantage of a break. All face to face, until a sudden blackout arrives in the Murcian: errors and more errors, the right that does not come out, the drop shots that fall short, the serves that do not work and the income vanishes.
The party enters the field of suffering, of admitting that the blows that are planned to the head do not come out and solutions must be sought. In fits and starts, the two hold their serve until the tie break. Even lifting a set ball the Spanish. Sinner’s serves no longer hurt as much. Alcaraz adds thirteen errors with the right. But it is the Murcian who succeeds with a drop shot when there is no confidence to hit the background and finally breaks the spell. Setbacks come to the aid of sentencing. It is the multiple resources of Alcaraz, that head loaded with patience and the tenacity in searching and searching until finding the solution that bring the match forward. The set arrives, oxygen and a shy smile.
It is extended with the first break of the second set against a Sinner who is still there, but who has a harder time finding the final blow. However, not a bad gesture, neither anger nor joy, quite an elegant and respectful competitor. However, he no longer hits this Alcaraz who is having fun again. It is not known if that is what makes tennis flow better for him or the other way around. What matters is that the ball already flies and is revolutionized again, the right finds the lines inside, the serve relieves moments of tension and there are arms raised high asking for applause just before the 4-1.
There is still time to see the game that was expected. Electric, dizzying, with remote-controlled blows that enter fully into another era of this sport. Sinner holds on because of competition and integrity he is one of the best, but the Spanish’s income is enough to be able to sentence with his service and seal the pass to the final with a forehand, finally, his trademark.
In the final two walls come together in this 2023. At the impetus of this renewed Alcaraz joins the Russian, 19 consecutive victories since the round of 16 of the Australian Open. From there, he titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai and aspires to the fourth in Indian Wells, after separating Frances Tiafoe (7-5 and 7-5). It will be the second meeting between the two; the first was for Medvedev at Wimbledon 2021 (6-4, 6-2 and 6-1) when he was already installed among the greats (he won the US Open that year), and Alcaraz still had to give one last stretch. Today is the real test, with both at their best, with a title –and a number 1 for Alcaraz– at stake.