Carlos Alcaraz, the two-time defending champion at Indian Wells, started his pursuit of a third consecutive title in style. The Spanish tennis star won 6-4, 6-2 against France’s Quentin Halys in just 67 minutes. Alcaraz admitted to feeling a bit nervous at the start, but quickly found his rhythm with a solid performance, including seven aces and saving the only break point he faced.
Since his early exit at the Australian Open, Alcaraz has bounced back, winning the title in Rotterdam. Now ranked No. 3, he is the highest-ranked player remaining in the tournament, following the early exits of top-ranked Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. In the third round, Alcaraz will face Canadian Denis Shapovalov, who defeated Australian Adam Walton 6-3, 6-2.
