Carlos Alcaraz’s crusade through the Indian Wells draw has gone as many had expected.
After all, he has seemed unstoppable thus far in 2026, and few expected that to change here in the California desert, where he is a two-time champion.
With a semi-final against Daniil Medvedev looming, the Russian will be wary of his chances, as he aims to be the first man to defeat the world number one this season.
Especially considering Carlos Alcaraz has just toppled yet another record with his latest win, which should only boost confidence.
Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic’s outdoor hard-court win streak
In beating Cam Norrie to reach the Indian Wells semi-finals, Alcaraz recorded his 34th outdoor hard-court victory in a row.
This is a run that stretches back way into 2025, having won five titles, including two Grand Slams during this period.
Do you believe Carlos Alcaraz is already the greatest tennis player of all time?
For context, his latest victory helped him surpass the 33-match win streak Novak Djokovic enjoyed in 2011, and has brought him level with Pete Sampras’ 34-match streak in 1994.
Should he beat Medvedev later today, only two men will stand in his way: Roger Federer, with 46-straight outdoor hard-court wins, and Jimmy Connors’ near-unbeatable run of 55 victories in a row.
Alcaraz also surpassed Nadal and Djokovic in another record this week too, compounding what has been a historic few days for the 22-year-old.
Carlos Alcaraz’s remaining path to the Indian Wells title
Naturally, if he is to continue this winning run and one day surpass Federer and Connors, Alcaraz will have to win this Indian Wells title.
He is just two victories away from achieving that.
- Carlos Alcaraz [1] vs Daniil Medvedev [11]
- Jannik Sinner [2] vs Alexander Zverev [3]
First up is Daniil Medvedev, whom the Spaniard will be quietly confident of overcoming, given he boasts a 6-3 positive head-to-head against him, and has won their last four encounters.
Then, Alcaraz will face the winner of Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev.
What Carlos Alcaraz needs to do to surpass Roger Federer’s outdoor hard-court win streak
If Alcaraz is to surpass Federer’s outdoor hard-court win streak, it will take some doing.
Should he win Indian Wells, he would bring his tally up to 36, still 10 wins away from the Swiss legend.
| Rank | Player | Win streak | Year(s) achieved |
| 1. | Jimmy Connors | 55 | 1973 to 1976 |
| 2. | Roger Federer | 46 | 2005 to 2006 |
| 3. | Carlos Alcaraz* | 34 | 2025 to 2026 |
| 4. | Pete Sampras | 34 | 1994 |
| 5. | Novak Djokovic | 33 | 2011 |
The seven-time Grand Slam champion would therefore have to win the Miami Open, adding another six wins, and then wait until both the clay and grass seasons had concluded to start back up.
His next available opportunity after Miami would be in Canada and then Cincinnati, where he would have to reach the final (winning five more matches) in the former event to break Federer’s record.
