Carlos Alcaraz bemoaned having a ‘target on his back’ last week after losing to Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells semi-finals.
Earlier in the week, Alcaraz had said he was ‘tired of playing Roger Federer every round’; echoing the previous comments of Serena Williams.
The Spaniard has started the year in impressive form, winning 16 of his first 17 matches; yet it seems Alcaraz is not entirely content.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
Toni Nadal, the uncle and former coach of Rafael Nadal, has weighed in on Alcaraz’s recent comments, expressing his disagreement.
Toni Nadal disagrees with Carlos Alcaraz’s complaints
Speaking after his loss to Medvedev in California, Alcaraz said: “I said it when I played against [Arthur] Rinderknech [in Round 3], for example, that what I’m just getting tired a little bit is to get that target on my back all the time. As I said, I have never seen Daniil playing like this before.
“But I have to accept it. I have to accept it, keep it going. But after everything, as I said, I just realised what I had to do and what I have to think before every match and before every tournament, and it is just playing for me, playing for my team, and for my close people.
“I’m not thinking about I need to win, or I have to win. It’s just about chasing my goals, chasing what I just set up before every tournament.
“That’s my mindset, so I’m not getting tired of the people thinking I have to win every match.”
Toni Nadal has since voiced his opposition to Alcaraz’s remarks.
“I don’t agree at all,” he told Radioestadio, as reported by Punto de Break’s José Morón.
Carlos Alcaraz’s 2026 Indian Wells campaign…
| Round | Opponent | Result | Score |
| Round of 64 | Grigor Dimitrov | Win | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Round of 32 | Arthur Rinderknech | Win | 6–7, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Round of 16 | Casper Ruud | Win | 6–1, 7–6 |
| Quarter-final | Cameron Norrie | Win | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Semi-final | Daniil Medvedev | Loss | 3–6, 6–7 |
“It’s not a matter of having a target on your back. When you play against someone who’s better than you, you know you have to rush your shots a bit more.
“When you step out to play, you’re well aware that you need to take a few more risks. Not because it’s Alcaraz, but because the opponent knows Alcaraz is better.
“I’m sure Medvedev would prefer to play against someone else and not Alcaraz or Sinner, but he knows that if he’s up against them, he has to push harder.”
Nadal’s comments make sense. As the world number one, Alcaraz is likely to face opponents who will raise their game in order to try and beat him.
As Serena Williams said at Wimbledon many years ago: “I always play everyone at their greatest, so I have to be greater.”
Alcaraz must quickly put his Indian Wells campaign behind him, and focus on the next Masters 1000 event on the calendar.
The seven-time major champion will look to bounce back from his loss to Medvedev in Florida, where the Miami Masters will be taking place.
How many points will Carlos Alcaraz defend in Miami?
Since losing to Medvedev, Alcaraz has travelled to the Miami Masters, which will begin later on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old, who has already achieved the Career Grand Slam this year, has the opportunity to significantly boost his ranking in Florida.
This is because he only has 30 ATP points to defend at the event after losing to David Goffin in the second round of last year’s event.
Therefore, Alcaraz could earn up to 970 extra ranking points, were he to win the title in Florida.
Of course, this will be easier said than done. Jannik Sinner will be motivated to win the ‘Sunshine Double’ after his exploits in Indian Wells, and Daniil Medvedev has emerged as a major contender once again.
One contender who will not be participating in the event is Novak Djokovic, who withdrew from the tournament due to a right shoulder injury.
As for Alcaraz, he has a bye through to the second round, where he could face young Brazilian star Joao Fonseca.
