Alcaraz defeated Norway’s Casper Ruud, 6-1, 7-6(2), in the round of 16 at Indian Wells. He helped himself with 33 winners and extended his winning streak to 15 matches.
Since 1990, only a handful of players - absolute legends- have started the season this strongly, and now the young Spaniard joins their ranks.
Only Americans Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, Italian Jannik Sinner, and members of the so-called Big Three - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Djokovic - have remained unbeaten for so long at the start of a season.
The best start ever belongs to the Serbian star, who began 2011 with an incredible 41 consecutive wins, only losing in the French Open semi-finals to Federer.
Alcaraz also added another record to his impressive collection at Indian Wells. Not only has he reached at least the quarter-finals here for the fifth consecutive time, but he’s done so as the youngest player in the tournament’s history.
No one else has managed this before turning 23. If he succeeds against his next opponent, Cameron Norrie, he would play his fifth straight semi-final at Indian Wells.
His remarkable winning streak on outdoor hard courts is also worth mentioning. The current world number one has triumphed at the Cincinnati Masters, the US Open, Tokyo, the Australian Open, and Doha, remaining unbeaten in 33 matches.
He has matched the streaks of Djokovic and Laver, which are the fourth-longest in history. Sampras has one more win. Federer’s (46 wins) and Jimmy Connors’ (55 wins) streaks remain out of reach for now.
The Spaniard continues to prove he can become one of the best players in history, quickly climbing to the top of nearly every historical ranking.
At just 19, he became the youngest world number one ever. This year, after his Australian Open victory, he broke his compatriot Nadal’s record and became the youngest player to complete a career Grand Slam.