Carlos Alcaraz-Mackenzie McDonald: Premiere as top seed against the host

Carlos Alcaraz has completed a magnificent progression in the last 365 days. In March 2021 he had been eliminated in the round of 32 of the Mexican Open held in Acapulco by Alexander Zverev, after qualifying for that round through a ‘wild card’ that he had received. At that time he was ranked 132nd in the ranking. After a year, he is the active tennis player youngest to break into the top-20achieving a milestone that not even Nadal, Federer, Djokovic or Murray they had achieved. Andy Murray was, precisely, the only rival with whom he saw faces on his last visit to Indian Wellsin October 2021.

Half a year later he seeks to recover sensations continuing his good start to the year. He was already seeded at the Australian Open, after which wins the Rio Open, his first ATP 500getting enough momentum to break into the top 20.

His first meeting in Indian Wells in 2022 is a first in his career, as has never played against Mackenzie McDonaldtennis player from California who came to be in the top 50 of the ATP in February of this same 2022, and who appears in Indian Wells with a good previous dynamic, because managed to take Rublev to three sets in the Dubai quarterfinalsRublev being the one who would end up winning the tournament.

In his first match in the American competition, McDonald came to exceed two hours against the Hungarian Fucsovics to be able to win and go through the round, as he would end up doing 7-6(11), 7-5. His match against Alcaraz will be in the second round of the tournament, his barrier, because on the five occasions he has competed in Indian Wells has not managed to pass the second phase.