Alcaraz advances at Indian Wells after tough win over Rinderknech

Carlos Alcaraz progressed to the round of 16 at Indian Wells on Tuesday, defeating French player Arthur Rinderknech 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-2 in a match that lasted two hours and 18 minutes.

The world No. 1 and top seed faced a difficult opening, with Rinderknech playing at his highest level during the first set and the beginning of the second. Alcaraz acknowledged the challenge in his post-match remarks, stating that Rinderknech "was playing his best tennis, I would say, in the first set and at the beginning of the second. For me, it was really difficult. I got into trouble, to be honest."

Despite the slow start, Alcaraz recovered to claim victory, improving his record against Rinderknech to 6-0. The Spanish player credited his mental resilience for the turnaround. "I'm very happy with how I dealt with everything that was happening," Alcaraz said. "I accepted it, moved forward, stayed mentally strong and then tried to do something different."

The victory extends Alcaraz's unbeaten streak to 14 consecutive wins this season. He has won the Australian Open and the Doha Masters earlier in 2026 and entered Indian Wells with two straight victories.

After the match, Alcaraz expressed frustration about the elevated level of play he encounters from opponents. "Sometimes I get tired of feeling like I'm playing against Roger Federer in every round," he told reporters. He elaborated that opponents appear to find special motivation when facing him, raising their performance significantly. "Sometimes it seems like everyone plays at an incredibly high level. I don't know if it's just a feeling of mine, but I feel like it always happens against me," Alcaraz said.

Alcaraz will face Norwegian Casper Ruud in the round of 16.