California [US], March 18 : After retaining his Indian Wells Open men's singles title, rising Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz said that it means a lot for him to lift the trophy as he overcame a lot of problems "in his head" and "physically".
The 20-year-old defeated the world number four Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the 2023 Indian Wells rematch by 7-6(5), 6-1 to secure his first title since his Wimbledon championship win last year in July.
Alcaraz entered the title clash with a win-loss record of 6-3 this season and during his recent outing in Rio de Janeiro, he suffered an injury scare on his ankle, which forced him to retire. But during this tournament in California, Alcaraz overcame a lot of star players on his way to the trophy and has now found a new confidence.
"It means a lot to me, lifting this trophy, winning this tournament, because I overcome a lot of problems in my head, a lot of problems physically," said Alcaraz as quoted by the Indian Wells website.
He also expressed his love for the crowd, saying that he loves playing in front of the Californian crowd.
"It is amazing coming back here, playing in such a beautiful court and I am enjoying every time I come here," Alcaraz said.
"I enjoy playing so much in front of you. So much energy. I felt the love since the first day until today. Thanks to you, thanks to the energy you bring to me, I could show my best tennis," he concluded.
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