Carlos Alcaraz's great opportunity. After his victory in Indian Wells, the Murcian is hot on Djokovic's heels in the race for first place in the ATP rankings. Carlitos, who won the title in Miami in 2022 when he beat the Norwegian Casper Ruud in the final 7-5 and 6-4, returns to the Hard Rock Stadium with the aim of surpassing last year's semifinals. If he wins, the prize would be double, since he would be only 280 points behind Novak Djokovic in his fight for world number one.
Juan Carlos Ferrero's pupil traveled to Florida yesterday afternoon. He already knows his draw in the second Masters 1000 of the season and avoids Sinner and Medvedev until a foreseeable final. Alcaraz will debut on Friday against the winner of the first round match between Aleksandar Vukic and Roberto Carballés. The first seed could face Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, Hubert Hurkacz in the quarterfinals and the American Ben Shelton in the round of 16.
Novak Djokovic has given up playing this tournament. The Serbian has not appeared in Miami since 2019. In 2020 he did not compete due to the pandemic, in 2021 he did not attend and in 2022 and 2023 he could not enter the United States because he was not vaccinated against covid. This year he could play, but he has resigned. The reasons were made public on his 'X' account: «At this stage of my career I am balancing my private and professional agenda. I'm sorry I won't be able to meet some of the best and most passionate fans in the world. “I hope to compete in Miami in the future!” wrote the ATP number one.
'Sunshine Double'
Carlos Alcaraz already knows the path he will need to overcome if he wants to get the long-awaited title that will allow him to join the club of winners of the 'Sunshine Double', the double with Indian Wells, a tournament he won last week for the second time in a row.
Only a few have managed to register their names in this registry. The first to achieve this was the American tennis player Jim Courier in the 1991 season. Just one year later, Michael Chang's turn would come. The next was Pete Sampras in 1994. That same year was the first time a woman achieved it. It was Steffi Graf who also later repeated the feat in 1996.
A Chilean like Marcelo Ríos surprised everyone with this feat in 1998. After the turn of the century the first protagonist was Agassi who fell in love with the public with his tennis recital in 2001. Kim Clijsters achieved the double in 2005. Roger Federer achieved it in three times (2005, 2006 and 2017). But the tennis player who has achieved this feat the most times is the absent this year Novak Djokovic who has achieved it four times (2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016).
The tennis player from El Palmar has the possibility of becoming the first Spaniard to achieve this feat. He can achieve it in a year in which reaching number one is once again a clear objective. He can be in his hands on clay, specifically in the first of the big clay tournaments this season. The Monte Carlo Masters 1000 can dictate a decision regarding a change at the top of the world ranking, since the Murcian did not play last year in the Principality and therefore can add up to 1000 points, if he wins it. Depending on his results and Djokovic's work, the current number two could once again reach the top of world tennis.
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