Carlos Alcaraz is not leaving Indian Wells empty-handed. Despite not having managed to beat Rafa Nadal, something that 95% of the players do not achieveand getting into the final of a Masters 1,000 for the first time in his career, the great performance of the Murcian in the tournament has a prize. This Monday will be the 16th in the world, three positions above the 19th position it currently occupies. Had it not been for Taylor Fritz qualifying for the title match, he would already be top-15.
What’s more, Charly is already involved in the fight for the ATP Finals. He is seventh, also behind the American, in a race to be in the Masters Cup led by Nadal. It should be remembered that the first eight of the table are entered, which would now be the Balearic Islands, Medvedev, Auger-Aliassime, Rublev, Tsitsipas, Fritz, Alcaraz and Berrettini. Two places further down is Roberto Bautista tenth.
“My dream is to be number one in the world, so I will work for that”, says the kid from El Palmar when asked about his goals. After winning the NextGen ATP Finals he also talked about the ATP Finals, although he was cautious: “They are a very cool goal, very difficult, I would say almost impossible, but we will fight and work to achieve it”. Now he is very close and sooner than he surely expected. If he maintains the level he has shown in the California desert, it is not unreasonable to think that he can be in Turin next November. For now, he will be in another Masters 1,000, the one in Miami next week.