Despite already winning a title in 2025 in Rotterdam, Carlos Alcaraz's start to the season was not considered brilliant by most fans and insiders. The 4-time Grand Slam champion was eliminated in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, where he was considered the second top favorite behind Jannik Sinner.
However, his run at Melbourne Park came to a halt against a legend like Novak Djokovic who put in an excellent performance despite his thigh injury.
It was also reasonable to expect something more from the Spanish ace at the Doha ATP 500 where he was eliminated by Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals and especially at the Indian Wells Masters 1000, a tournament that the 21-year-old from Murcia had dominated in 2023 and 2024.
The former world No.1 was looking to lift his third trophy in a row at 'The Tennis Paradise' and it really looked like everything was set for his victory, considering that he hadn't dropped a single set until the semifinals.
Carlitos' mechanics jammed against Jack Draper, who played a really great tournament and took advantage of his opponent's ups and downs to get the most special victory of his career so far.
Corretja talks about Carlitos
The current world number 3 will try to do better at the Miami Open, where he has already triumphed in 2022 by winning the first Masters 1000 of his career.
Speaking on Eurosport, Spanish legend Alex Corretja highlighted how people are too strict towards his young compatriot: "Alcaraz is treated brutally every time he loses a match. His rise has been really rapid and he is only 21 years old, he still has to learn several things.
Carlos has already become an international star and this puts a significant weight on his shoulders. It is true that he earns a lot of money and that he is very lucky, but there is a price to pay for this enormous popularity.
A lot of people don't understand how exhausting it is for a young man like him.
