Carlos Alcaraz reveals what shifted for him at Indian Wells this last fortnight, with the Spaniard winning his first title since Wimbledon 2023

Carlos Alcaraz’s peculiar form has been one of the biggest mysteries on the ATP Tour during the last nine months.

After winning 11 titles in 18 months, including two Grand Slams and four Masters, the Spanish prodigy went from having it all to being titleless from Wimbledon 2023 until now.

After successfully defending his Indian Wells championship against Daniil Medvedev on Sunday, the 20-year-old has now scored again and shared his thoughts about how difficult this losing streak was for him.

“I had incredibly tough months, so it’s hard to put it into words. To put it mildly, I’ve had a hard time figuring out who I am,” Alcaraz said following his Indian Wells triumph. “Let’s just that I didn’t love walking onto the court. It was challenging for me because I hadn’t been myself on the court for the previous two, three, let’s say.

“Lifting this trophy and winning this tournament means a lot to me because I’ve overcome a lot of mental and physical challenges.” That was why it was so unique. It’s not like I haven’t won a match since Wimbledon.

It is irrelevant to me. Like I stated, it’s all about the feelings. I don’t really care if I win tournaments or not. It’s about putting my game on the court and enjoying myself while playing tennis. It is all that counts. Because I felt so wonderful and discovered myself during this event, that’s why I’m really delighted to lift this trophy.

ALCARAZ: LAST FEW MONTHS TOUGHER THAN POST-WIMBLEDON 2023

The world No. 2 admitted that he was still having fun playing tennis even though he had difficulty getting success in the second half of 2023.

“The time following Wimbledon was quite challenging. I was enjoying a great American swing after Wimbledon, even if I couldn’t rediscover my style or game. Of course, I performed fairly well in Shanghai and Beijing. Even though I wasn’t playing well at the conclusion of the year, it didn’t matter. I was having fun.

The 20-year-old didn’t start struggling on the tennis court until this year, both in terms of his mindset and his performance.

“You know, I struggled the past few months because I couldn’t figure myself out. I was having trouble having fun on the court,” Alcaraz acknowledged.

“People close to me, including my family and team, informed me that something had occurred to me—namely, that I was not grinning as often as I used to. Yes, I’m going through a tough time, but I was having fun after Wimbledon.

Alcaraz will now travel to Miami in a bid to capture the Sunshine Double for the first time in his brief career after putting his smile back on full display at Indian Wells this past weekend.