Carlos Alcaraz: “I still have to improve, but I’m happy with my level” | ATP Tour

Indian Wells

Alcaraz: “I still have to improve, but I’m happy with my level”

The Spanish beat Shapovalov in two sets

March 11, 2025

Carlos Alcaraz is already in the round of 16 of the BNP Paribas Open of Indian Wells, where he looks for a third consecutive title that would match him with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. On Monday night, No. 3 of the PIF ATP Rankings clearly beat Denis Shapovalov, and continued in the Californian desert.

“I knew I had to be very concentrated from the beginning of the game,” Alcaraz said. “I had to start very strongly, aware that it would be a hard battle,” added the Spanish. “I am very happy with my party, with everything I have done. I still have to improve some things, but I’m happy with my level. ”

Throughout the match, Alcaraz competed in front of Shapovalov with a smile on his face, one of his usual signs. This time, however, it was due to a special presence in the stands: a large group of fans disguised as a bee, winking to the episode that the Murcian lived in 2024, when his quarter -final match of Indian Wells against Alexander Zverev had to be temporarily suspended by an invasion of bees.

“It has been a lot of fun,” Alcaraz said. “They have helped me a lot, I was looking at them and laughed. I always say that when I laugh and have fun on the track I can get a good tennis, ”the champion of four Grand titles continued. Slam “So probably thanks to them I have been able to show good tennis. I realized in the second game, they left on the screen and it was fun. I made a selfie with them at the end; I think they deserved it. ”

Finally, Alcaraz analyzed how one of the great changes he has implemented this season is helping him: the five grams of weight that he has placed in his racket to gain more power.

“I think I played with little weight,” Alcaraz reflected. “I thought about trying and seeing how I was leaving. I was looking for some specific moments of the game where I could improve my game a bit, when I was running or some specific blows. I feel very good playing with those five more grams, ”added the Spanish. “I feel the ball, I can control it. The ball, everything, is totally the same, but I feel that when I hit her well, it is stronger. I think that for the opponent it is more difficult to control it. So it’s my feeling. ”

Alcaraz will look for the pass to the quarterfinals at the first ATP Masters 1000 of the season next Wednesday.