How Alcaraz could join Federer, Djokovic in Indian Wells history books

Carlos Alcaraz will have his sights set on carving out more history when he steps onto court at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

If he is successful in his quest for glory at the ATP Masters 1000, the two-time defending champion will join Roger Federer (2004-06) and Novak Djokovic (2014-16) as the only men to win three consecutive singles titles at the event. Ahead of his campaign at the 2025 edition, ATPTour.com examines Alcaraz’s relationship with Indian Wells.

2023: Desert Dominance
After being forced to withdraw from the 2023 Australian Open due to injury and watch Djokovic replace him as No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, Alcaraz arrived in Indian Wells with a clear mission: to reclaim what was once his. The Spaniard then delivered a stunning set of performances, mastering the windy conditions — and his opponents — to claim the title without dropping a set.

While Alcaraz’s run to a maiden Indian Wells crown was commanding throughout, perhaps his most dominant victory came in the final. His 6-3, 6-2 triumph snapped his opponent Daniil Medvedev's 19-match win streak, which included three consecutive titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai. Having won the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami the previous year, the then-19-year-old Alcaraz became the ninth and youngest man to claim both legs of the Sunshine Double.

“To recover the No. 1 [ranking] is crazy for me," Alcaraz said after the final. "But especially to lift the trophy here for me means a lot... I love this tournament. I really enjoy my time here and of course I felt the love from the people from day one. It means a lot to me.”

_{^{Carlos Alcaraz celebrates his maiden triumph at the BNP Paribas Open in 2023. Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images}}

2024: Back-To-Back Business
As the defending champion, Alcaraz returned to Indian Wells seeking his first title since Wimbledon seven months prior. Despite concerns over an ankle injury that had forced him to withdraw from the ATP 500 in Rio two weeks before, the World No. 2 showed no signs of struggle, storming to a successful title defence in the desert.

His quarter-final clash against Alexander Zverev will likely be remembered as much for the bizarre delay caused by a bee invasion as for the tennis itself. After swatting the swarm — and Zverev — Alcaraz reignited his riveting rivalry with Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals, rallying from a set down to even their Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 4-4.

“Winning this tournament means a lot to me because the week before it began, I had a lot of doubts about my ankle,” Alcaraz said after defeating Medvedev in the final to retain his title. “I remember my first practice here was just 30 minutes with no movement and probably the first practice with really good tennis players was really tough for me, because I thought I was not going to play my best.”

2025: Three-Peat On The Cards?
Alcaraz returns to the desert in 2025 with history on his racquet. The two-time defending champion is chasing a third Indian Wells title, one that would cement his status alongside Federer and Djokovic as the only men to win three consecutive trophies at the event. At just 21, another successful title defence would also bring him level with countryman Rafael Nadal as a three-time champion.

Entering the tournament with an 11-2 record on the season, Alcaraz will seek a strong reaction to his quarter-final loss to Jiri Lehecka at the ATP 500 in Doha. The Spaniard was also defeated by Djokovic at the same stage at the Australian Open in January, and fans will be keen to see if the pair's budding Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry, which the Serbian leads 5-3, will continue with a maiden meeting in Indian Wells.