Carlos Alcaraz was made to work for his Indian Wells third-round victory.
The Spaniard, who is on a historic 14-match win streak, dropped the first set before securing a 6-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech
After securing the victory, Alcaraz admitted that he was ‘tired of playing Roger Federer in every round,’ – seemingly hinting at his opponents raising their level of play when facing the Spaniard.
What do you think is Carlos Alcaraz’s best surface and why?
These comments echo those of Serena Williams, who made a similar claim at Wimbledon many years ago.
Serena Williams said she would ‘always play everyone at their greatest’
Speaking after his close match with Rinderknech, Alcaraz joked: “I just sometimes get tired [of] playing Roger Federer every round.
“Sometimes [it] just feels they’re playing an insane level.”
Years prior to Alcaraz’s comments, Serena Williams offered a very similar take on the matter.
Discussing the subject after a match at Wimbledon, Serena said: “Every single match that I play… whether I’m coming back from a baby or surgery, it doesn’t matter.
“These young ladies, they bring a game that I’ve never seen before, and it’s interesting because I don’t even scout as much because when I watch them play, it’s a totally different game than when they play me.
“It’s what makes me great. I always play everyone at their greatest, so I have to be greater.”
This iconic quote perfectly explains why Alcaraz feels as he does in 2026.
For the elite players on the circuit – especially those that are world number one – there is a target on their backs.
Players are forced to raise their level when competing against the best competitors in the world – as Serena was, and Carlos now is.
WTA Players who have the most weeks at world number one in the Open Era
| Player | Weeks |
|---|---|
| Steffi Graf | 377 |
| Martina Navratilova | 332 |
| Serena Williams | 319 |
| Chris Evert | 260 |
| Martina Hingis | 209 |
| Monica Seles | 178 |
| Iga Świątek | 125 |
| Ashleigh Barty | 121 |
| Justine Henin | 117 |
| Lindsay Davenport | 98 |
Those competing on the Tour do not need to play at their top level when playing someone who holds a similar, or lower ranking.
However, when facing the best, you have to play at your best; and this is evident when considering Alcaraz and Serena’s remarks.
When did Serena Williams first become world number one?
In July 2002, Serena Williams defeated sister Venus 6-2, 6-1 to win her first Wimbledon Women’s Singles title.
As a result, Serena achieved the world number one ranking for the first time in her career.
“It feels great,” 20-year-old Serena said, as per The Guardian. “I’m really excited. I shed a few tears.
“At points in my life things went down, game-wise. I’ve had a lot of injuries. I decided to fight and things just turned around for me.
Does Serena Williams win a WTA title or Grand Slam title if she comes back to tennis?
“I’ve been to the final of the last three grand slams that I’ve played in. That’s not bad.”
Serena went on to hold the world number one ranking for 57 weeks during her first stint at the top of the WTA tree.
Upon her retirement in 2022, Serena had held the world number ranking for 319 weeks; behind only Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova.
