Carlos Alcaraz tired of “playing against Federer every round” but overcomes Arthur Rinderknech
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the No 1 seed, defeated Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, the No 26 seed, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-2 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday night after trailing by a set and a break.
Carlos Alcaraz, Indian Wells 2026 | © PsNewz
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the No 1 seed, defeated Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech, the No 26 seed, 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-2 to secure a place in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday night.
The top-seeded Spaniard required two hours and 27 minutes to navigate a high-octane challenge under the lights of Stadium 1. Rinderknech utilized his massive serve to disrupt the rhythm of the world No 1, leading by a set and an early break in the second.
But Alcaraz refused to let the scoreboard pressure dictate his shot selection. The Australian Open champion managed to reclaim the break immediately and eventually conceded only five games throughout the remainder of the contest. Alcaraz didn’t lose a single point on his service points in the third set.
Alcaraz : “A target on my back”
“To be honest, I just sometimes get tired about playing Roger Federer every round,” Alcaraz said when describing the elevated level his opponents frequently produce against him. “I feel like I have a target on my back, and I feel like if they don’t play that kind of tennis they can’t win.”
“I feel it’s just against me all the time, they play higher than their ranking. All can I do is just accept it, keep it going, trying to do different things in the match, not to let him be aggressive or playing, put my style, my tennis, my level into the match. I feel like I have a target on my back, and I feel like if they don’t play that kind of tennis, they can’t win, or it is what I think they could think.”
Rinderknech played a nearly flawless opening set by saving two break points at 3-4 and an eventual set point at 5-6 in the tie-break. The Frenchman carried that momentum into the second set and secured an immediate break to lead 1-0. Although the deficit appeared significant, Alcaraz responded by increasing his ball speed and height to push the Frenchman away from the net.
Alcaraz – Ruud next
The key statistical pivot occurred in the break point conversion rate where Alcaraz successfully took 4 of his 12 opportunities. While Rinderknech remained highly efficient at the net in the early stages, his first-serve percentage dipped in the final set, allowing the Spaniard to win 52% of receiving points.
“In the beginning I was a little bit mad with myself, because I just had a lot of chances in the first set, a few breakpoints, set point, and I couldn’t make it”, Alcaraz said. “So I feel like I just left a lot of great chances for me. It’s sometimes difficult to accept it, but in the beginning of the second set, he played such a great level. You have to be strong mentally, stay calm as much as I can.”
“I knew that I was going to have more chances, and if I wasn’t there, I couldn’t take them. The main thing is to stay there all the time, try to win my serve game, try to put pressure on his serve games, and let’s see what’s going to happen.”
Alcaraz advances to the last 16 where he will face Norwegian Casper Ruud, the No 13 seed. This upcoming fixture represents a rematch of the 2022 US Open final, a key point of both of their careers where the number one spot at the ATP was on the line.
Indian Wells 3th round men’s results
C. Alcaraz (1) – A. Rinderknech (26): 6[2]-7, 6-3, 6-2
C. Ruud (13) – V. Vacherot (24): 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
R. Hijikata (Q) – A. Bublik (10): 6[3]-7, 7-6[3], 6-3
C. Norrie (27) – A. de Minaur (6): 6-4, 6-4
N. Djokovic (3) – A. Kovacevic: 6-4, 1-6, 6-4
J. Draper (14) – F. Cerundolo (19): 6-1, 7-5
D. Medvedev (11) – S. Baez: 6-4, 6-0
A. Michelsen – T. Fritz (7): 6-4, 7-6[9]
A. Fils (30) – M. Fucsovics: 6-3, 7-5
F. Auger-Aliassime (9) – G. Diallo: 6[3]-7, 6-3, 6-3
F. Tiafoe (21) – F. Cobolli (15): 6-1, 6-2
A. Zverev (4) – B. Nakashima (28): 7-6[2], 5-7, 6-4
L. Tien (25) – B. Shelton (8): 7-6[5], 4-6, 6-3
A. Davidovich Fokina (18) – J. Mensik (12): 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
J. Fonseca – T. Paul (23): 6-2, 6-3
J. Sinner (2) – D. Shapovalov: 6-3, 6-2
Indian Wells men’s draw 4th round schedule
C. Alcaraz (1) – C. Ruud (13) : Wednesday
R. Hijikata (Q) – C. Norrie (27): Wednesday
N. Djokovic (3) – J. Draper (14): Wednesday
D. Medvedev (11) – A. Michelsen: Wednesday
A. Fils (30) – F. Auger-Aliassime (9): Tuesday
F. Tiafoe (21) – A. Zverev (4): Tuesday
L. Tien (25) – A. Davidovich Fokina (18): Tuesday
J. Fonseca – J. Sinner (2): Tuesday
