BNP Paribas Open: Teenage tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz could make history at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz made a run to the semifinals of last year’s BNP Paribas Open, then won the U.S. Open in September. In December, he became the youngest player in the history of the ATP rankings, and the first teenager to finish the year No. 1.

But the 19-year-old Spanish tennis star then missed the Australian Open in January after injuring his right hamstring during training. Alcaraz returned last month to capture a tournament title in Buenos Aires, then reached the final in Rio de Janeiro before re-injuring his hamstring in a finals loss to Cam Norrie of Great Britain.

Now, second-ranked Alcaraz enters this year’s BNP Paribas Open as the top seed and presumptive favorite to win the Indian Wells title, which would elevate him once again to No. 1. Top-ranked Novak Djokovic withdrew from the tournament March 5.

How many men in the history of the game can say they've won Indian Wells, Miami and the U.S. Open — as a teenager? None.

“It’s a really good goal for me,” Alcaraz told reporters Wednesday. “For me, winning the tournament and being No. 1 is a good goal, and I’m really going to go for it.”

Alcaraz will take the court for his first match Saturday in what is likely to be a Stadium Court appearance at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. His opponent will be Australian Thanassi Kokkinakis of Australia who beat American wild card Brandon Holt 6-4, 6-1 on Thursday.

Alcaraz said that his right hamstring is “really good” right now and that he’s prepared to play again after a couple weeks off following the conclusion of the Rio de Janeiro tournament.

“I’m ready,” he said.

While that may indeed be the case, a question remains about whether Alcaraz will be able to hold up for the duration of the tournament. He’ll need to win six matches to win the BNP Paribas Open, and he has not won that many consecutive matches at an event since he won seven last year at the U.S. Open.

He’s also playing on a hamstring that he’s injured twice over the last three months. Can his body go the distance in the California desert?

That seems to be the big question with Alcaraz, because if he is healthy and ready to go, he has a golden opportunity in front of him. Without Djokovic and ninth-ranked Rafael Nadal, some of the seasoned star power is absent this year at Indian Wells. Just three men in this year’s field — Norrie, American Taylor Fritz and Austria’s Dominic Thiem — have won a BNP Paribas Open title.

“If he’s healthy and fit and manages to win a few rounds here,” tournament director Tommy Haas said of Alcaraz, “I think he goes down as probably my favorite to win this title.”

Even being relatively young in professional tennis, Alcaraz is known as an intense competitor who has all the tools to win a tournament against the very best players in the world. At 6-foot, he’s quick on his feet, athletic, and seems to have an understanding of the game and its nuances that is beyond his years.

He showed a ton of grit and determination last year in his semifinal loss to Nadal at Indian Wells. In the unforgettable match, which was compared to Pete Sampras versus a young Roger Federer, the two Spanish tennis stars battled strong winds that blew debris, towels and the ball all over the court. Alcaraz fought through the conditions for three sets with Nadal before the 22-time Grand Slam champion went up a break late in the third set to finish out the match.

Alcaraz, who turns 20 on May 5, has since played the best tennis of his young career. He’s won the Miami Open and the U.S. Open. He needs to win Indian Wells to complete the big American trio as a teenager.

The stage is set for him to do it.

“I have a lot of confidence right now in myself,” Alcaraz said. “I’m playing really well. On hardcourts, I think I’m a pretty good tennis player, so I’m going to go for it.”

Andrew John covers the BNP Paribas Open for The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.

Carlos Alcaraz

Ranking: 2

From: El Palmar, Spain

Favorite shots: Drop shot

Indian wells record: 4-2

Career titles: 7

Titles in 2023: 1 (Buenos Aires)

Career W-L record: 98-32

Career earnings: $9,637,959

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: Carlos Alcaraz has golden opportunity at Indian Wells