Carlos Alcaraz is a two-time champion and heavy favorite to win Indian Wells in 2026.
The Spanish world number one hasn’t lost a match this year and always plays well in California.
With his rival Jannik Sinner faltering, Alcaraz seems almost invincible at the moment.
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He shouldn’t get complacent, though, as there are several ‘tricky’ players lurking in his draw…
Carlos Alcaraz warned about Grigor Dimitrov and Arthur Rinderknech
During the latest episode of ‘The Big T Podcast‘, Emma Raducanu’s coach Mark Petchey shared his thoughts on Alcaraz’s potential second-round matchup.
“Everyone’s eyes are going to drift towards [Carlos] Alcaraz, but he potentially has a very tricky match in the second round if he gets up against Grigor Dimitrov,” said Petchey.
“[Terence] Atmane is the person who Grigor [Dimitrov] is going to take on first, so that’s not an easy one out of the blocks.”
Petchey believes former world number three Grigor Dimitrov could cause Alcaraz a few issues if they meet in the second round.
Dimitrov has won two of his last three matches against Alcaraz, but the Bulgarian has only recorded one victory all year as he continues his comeback from injury.
Carlos Alcaraz and Grigor Dimitrov’s head-to-head record (4-2)
- 2025 Indian Wells 4R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Grigor Dimitrov, 6-1, 6-1
- 2024 Miami Open QF – Grigor Dimitrov defeated Carlos Alcaraz, 6-2, 6-4
- 2023 Shanghai 4R – Grigor Dimitrov defeated Carlos Alcaraz, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4
- 2023 Queen’s Club QF – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Grigor Dimitrov, 6-4, 6-4
- 2023 Madrid Open 3R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Grigor Dimitrov, 6-2, 7-5
- 2022 Paris Masters 3R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Grigor Dimitrov, 6-1, 6-3
Petchey’s co-host, CoCo Vandeweghe, looked ahead to Alcaraz’s potential third-round opponent, Arthur Rinderknech.
“I don’t think it’s easy, and it doesn’t get easier from there,” she said.
“[Arthur] Rinderknech is potentially going to be the first seed he faces.
“And big serving here, if you can serve big and get some momentum, it’s one place that can really accentuate that.
Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Rinderknech’s head-to-head record (5-0)
- 2026 Qatar Open 1R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Arthur Rindernkech, 6-4, 7-6
- 2025 US Open 4R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Arthur Rinderknech, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4
- 2025 Queen’s Club QF – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Arthur Rinderknech, 7-5, 6-4
- 2023 Queen’s Club 1R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Arthur Rinderknech, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6
- 2021 US Open 2R – Carlos Alcaraz defeated Arthur Rinderknech, 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
“Rinderknech is one of those players that when he starts serving big, it takes the racket out of your hand.”
Carlos Alcaraz’s Indian Wells draw
| Round | Highest-ranked potential opponent | Potential seeded opponents |
| 1R (BYE) | – | – |
| 2R | Grigor Dimitrov (42) | – |
| 3R | Arthur Rinderknech (28) | [26] Arthur Rinderknech |
| 4R | Casper Ruud (13) | [13] Casper Ruud, [24] Valentin Vacherot |
| QF | Alex de Minaur (6) | [6] Alex de Minaur, [10] Alexander Bublik, [20] Luciano Darderi, [27] Cameron Norrie |
| SF | Novak Djokovic (3) | [3] Novak Djokovic, [7] Taylor Fritz, [11] Daniil Medvedev, [14] Jack Draper, [19] Francisco Cerundolo, [22] Jiri Lehecka, [31] Corentin Moutet, [32] Ugo Humbert |
| F | Jannik Sinner (2) | [2] Jannik Sinner, [4] Novak Djokovic, [5] Lorenzo Musetti, [8] Ben Shelton, [9] Felix Auger-Aliassime, [12] Jakub Mensik, [15] Flavio Cobolli, [16] Karen Khachanov, [17] Andrey Rublev, [18] Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, [21] Frances Tiafoe, [23] Tommy Paul, [25] Learner Tien, [28] Brandon Nakashima, [29] Tomas Martin Etcheverry, [30] Arthur Fils |
If Alcaraz can get past Dimitrov and Rinderknech, he’d potentially meet Norway’s Casper Ruud in the last 16.
Then, the Spaniard may need to beat three top-10 players, Alex de Minaur, Novak Djokovic, and Sinner in consecutive matches to lift the title.
What is Carlos Alcaraz’s longest winning streak?
If Alcaraz picks up the Indian Wells title, he’ll extend his winning streak to 18 matches.
Remarkably, that wouldn’t even come close to his record.
Last year, Alcaraz won 24 matches in a row.
After winning the Italian Open, French Open, and Queen’s, Alcaraz reached the Wimbledon final.
Carlos Alcaraz’s 2025 winning streak
| Wins | Tournament | Performance |
| 1-6 | Italian Open (Masters 1000) | Champion |
| 7-13 | French Open (Grand Slam) | Champion |
| 14-18 | Queen’s (ATP 500) | Champion |
| 19-24 | Wimbledon (Grand Slam) | Finalist |
To surpass that winning streak in 2026, Alcaraz would need to win Indian Wells, the Miami Open, and his opening match at whatever tournament he plays next.
Unlikely, but not impossible.
Alcaraz won’t want to be distracted by record-breaking winning streaks, though, as Petchey and Vandeweghe rightly mentioned, he has some tricky opponents awaiting him in the early rounds at Indian Wells.
First, Alcaraz will play Dimitrov or Atmane in the second round on Saturday, March 7.
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