Carlos Alcaraz showcased resilience at the BNP Paribas Open, overcoming a slow start against Arthur Rinderknech to secure a 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-2 victory in the third round on March 11, 2024. The top-seeded Spaniard faced challenges early in the match but rallied strongly to maintain his perfect record in 2026, bringing his win total to 14 matches.
Rinderknech, the 26th seed from France, initially had Alcaraz on the ropes, saving a set point during a tense first-set tiebreaker. He clinched the set by winning the last three points, then broke Alcaraz’s serve at the beginning of the second set. In response, Alcaraz found his rhythm, winning 12 of the final 16 games, a performance reminiscent of his championship runs at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2024.
Reflecting on the match, Alcaraz praised Rinderknech’s performance, stating, “Sometimes I get tired of playing Roger Federer every round. They are playing really at an insane level.” He acknowledged the difficulties he faced in the early stages, saying, “He was playing his best tennis… it was really, really difficult. I got in trouble, to be honest, but I’m really happy with how I dealt with everything.”
Alcaraz’s victory sets him up for a fourth-round match against 13th-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway, who defeated 24th-seeded Valentin Vacherot of Monaco 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Earlier in the day, third-seeded Novak Djokovic also advanced, overcoming Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Despite Kovacevic’s impressive performance, which included a 16-6 advantage in aces, Djokovic managed to secure the win.
“I wasn’t feeling my rhythm on that return very well today, but he made my life very difficult with his returns,” Djokovic said. He complimented Kovacevic’s serving, remarking, “He had a tremendous serving display today. He’s on the right path.”
In other notable matchups, American Alex Michelsen upset seventh-seeded Taylor Fritz, the defending champion of Indian Wells, with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (6). The 14th-seeded Jack Draper from Great Britain eliminated 19th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 6-1, 7-5. Advancing to the fourth round as well were 11th-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, 27th-seeded Cameron Norrie of Great Britain, and Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata.
The tournament continues to deliver exciting matches, with top players demonstrating their skills as they vie for the prestigious title in Indian Wells.
