Carlos Alcaraz’s path to becoming the eighth player to win the Sunshine Double was set on Monday. But the Spaniard will need to overcome a series of difficult tests if he is to defend his Miami Open presented by Itau title and hold onto top spot in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The Spaniard lifted the trophy in south Florida last year and arrives this week off the back of a run to the title in Indian Wells, which propelled him back to World No. 1. The 19-year-old must win his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Miami to remain on top, though, where he begins against Argentine Facundo Bagnis or a qualifier.

Alcaraz could face former World No. 1 and two-time Miami champion Andy Murray in the third round and in-form American Tommy Paul in the fourth round. The top seed is seeded to face ninth seed Taylor Fritz or seventh seed Holger Rune in the quarter-finals and could renew his rivalry against Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

The Italian Sinner, who could meet Andrey Rublev in the fourth round and third seed Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals, lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semi-finals last week in their fifth ATP Head2Head meeting.

View Draw

The third seed Casper Ruud reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in Miami last year and will be hoping the hard-court event can once again provide him with a springboard to build from. Holding a 4-5 record on the season, the Norwegian opens against Ilya Ivashka or a qualifier and is seeded to meet Alexander Zverev in the fourth round. The German Zverev starts against Arthur Rinderknech or Taro Daniel.

In the bottom half of the draw, Daniil Medvedev will look to begin another winning run when he opens against Bernabe Zapata Miralles or Roberto Carballes Baena. The 27-year-old won 19 matches in a row before Alcaraz defeated him in the Indian Wells final.

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The fourth seed could meet Matteo Berrettini in a blockbuster fourth-round clash and Hubert Hurkacz or Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals. Hurkacz lifted the biggest trophy of his career in Miami in 2021 and reached the semi-finals last year.

Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to bounce back from an opening-round exit in Indian Wells when he takes on Richard Gasquet or a qualifier. The Greek, who enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals in Miami in 2021, is seeded to meet seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in the last eight. The Canadian Auger-Aliassime, currently at a career-high No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, could play Indian Wells semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe in the fourth round. Auger-Aliassime reached the semi-finals in Miami on his debut in 2019.

#NextGenATP American Ben Shelton will play Chinese wild card Juncheng Shang or Adrian Mannarino on his debut in Maimi, with Hurkacz a potential third-round opponent.

Fresh off his title triumph in Indian Wells, Carlos Alcaraz will look to complete the Sunshine Double when he takes to court this week at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

In a stacked field, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas will compete at the second ATP Masters 1000 event of the year, held at the Hard Rock Stadium for the fifth time.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at the outdoor hard-court event in south Florida.

1) Alcaraz In Full Flight: World No. 1 Alcaraz missed more than three months after last year’s Rolex Paris Masters due to injury, but it has been tough to tell based on his form. By winning the BNP Paribas Open, the Spaniard improved to 14-1 on the season, including two titles and a final appearance.

Alcaraz will try to maintain his momentum in Miami, the site of his Masters 1000 breakthrough one year ago. In 2022, the teen became the youngest champion in tournament history. This edition, he will try to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’.

2) Battle For No. 1: There is more than hardware at stake in Miami. Alcaraz must defend his title to remain ahead of Novak Djokovic in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on 3 April. Anything less and the Serbian will return to top spot. Alcaraz last year became the youngest World No. 1 in Pepperstone ATP Rankings history (since 1973).

3) Medvedev Begins A New Streak: Despite his loss to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final, Medvedev has proven over the past month he is back to his best. The 27-year-old won three consecutive titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai before impressing at Indian Wells, where only Alcaraz was able to stop him. Medvedev has reached the Miami quarter-finals in each of the past two years and will try to battle even further into the draw this edition.

4) Ruud Former Finalist: Casper Ruud enjoyed a standout season on hard courts in 2022, and it all began in Miami, where the Norwegian reached his first Masters 1000 final behind wins over the likes of Cameron Norrie and Alexander Zverev. The 24-year-old, who also made the final at last year’s US Open and Nitto ATP Finals, will try to secure his maiden Masters 1000 crown this visit to Miami.

5) Fritz Spearheads Home Charge: A host of American men line up eager to become the first home champion since John Isner in 2018. World No. 10 Taylor Fritz leads the way at a tournament where he reached the Round of 16 in each of the past two years. Fritz, who already won a title earlier this year in Delray Beach, will try to claim his second Masters 1000 trophy after triumphing last year at Indian Wells.

6) Tiafoe & Paul In Form: Fritz is not the only American in the Miami spotlight. Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul are both playing the best tennis of their career. Tiafoe advanced to the Indian Wells semi-finals after breaking through for a trip to the last four at last year’s US Open, while Paul made this year’s Australian Open semi-finals and followed up with a run to the Acapulco championship match.

7) Former Champs: Alongside Alcaraz and Isner, Hubert Hurkacz and Andy Murray are the only other former Miami champions in the draw. The 2021 winner Hurkacz is chasing his second ATP Tour title of the season while 2009 and 2013 titlist Murray will hope to build on his 29-10 record at the event. The former World No. 1 recently won four three-setters en route to the Doha final.

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8) Tsitsipas Striving For Success: Stefanos Tsitsipas made a quick start to his season in Australia, where he won four matches for Greece at the United Cup and then reached the Australian Open final. The 24-year-old will chase his first title of 2023 — and his 10th tour-level trophy overall — in Miami, where he made the quarter-finals two years ago. The Greek is pursuing his third Masters 1000 crown.

9) More Players To Watch: There are plenty of players to keep your eyes on, including home favourite Ben Shelton, who thrilled fans with his power and on-court energy Down Under, where he advanced to the quarter-finals. This will be the lefty’s Miami debut. It will also be Jiri Lehecka’s first appearance at the tournament. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up harnessed his power to great effect at the Australian Open, where like Shelton he blasted his way to the quarter-finals.

10) Hurkacz/Isner Defending Doubles Champs: Hurkacz and Isner lifted the doubles trophy in 2022 and they are entered to defend their title this year. The Polish-American duo will face a loaded field, including top seeds Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski and Indian Wells champions Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden.

After 12 days of action at the BNP Paribas Open, Carlos Alcaraz left as the king, defeating Daniil Medvedev to clinch the title and rise to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Following the first ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week as of Monday, 20 March 2023.

View Pepperstone ATP Rankings

No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, +1 (Joint Career High)
The 19-year-old has climbed back to No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time since January after winning his third ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells. The Spaniard did not drop a set en route to the trophy, becoming the ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Doubles – Indian Wells and Miami – in his career. Alcaraz defeated Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Read Indian Wells Final Report & Watch Highlights.

No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, +1
The 27-year-old is back in the Top 5 after he advanced to the final in Indian Wells. Medvedev, who had never been beyond the fourth round in five previous appearances before this year, overcame Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals to extend his winning streak to 19 matches. He was unable to find a way past Alcaraz, who proved too strong in the championship match.

No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime, +4 (Joint Career High)
The Canadian has jumped four spots to No. 6 after reaching the last eight in California. The 22-year-old overcame Pedro Martinez, Francisco Cerundolo and Tommy Paul to advance to his third quarter-final of the year.

No. 11 Jannik Sinner, +2
The Italian continued his impressive start to the season in Indian Wells, where he reached his second ATP Masters 1000 semi-final. The 21-year-old earned statement wins against Stan Wawrinka and Taylor Fritz before falling to the eventual champion in Alcaraz in their fifth ATP H2H meeting. Sinner heads to Miami 16-4 on the year.

No. 14 Frances Tiafoe, +2 (Career High)

Tiafoe has moved to a career-high No. 14 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after showcasing his dynamic game at the hard-court event. The 25-year-old American did not drop a set en route to his maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final, defeating Marcos Giron, Jason Kubler, Alejandro Tabilo and Cameron Norrie.

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz, +2 (Joint Career High)
No. 22 Marin Cilic, +2
No. 25 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, +3 (Career High)
No. 43 Jack Draper, +13
No. 44 Jiri Lehecka, +3
No. 45 Brandon Nakashima, +3
No. 52 Andy Murray, +3
No. 68 Nuno Borges, +12 (Career High)
No. 74 Marton Fucsovics, +10
No. 82 Cristian Garin, +15
No. 87 Stan Wawrinka, +13

Carlos Alcaraz was just about perfect during his run to the BNP Paribas Open title. In his Sunday press conference after a dominant 6-3, 6-2 final win against Daniil Medvedev, he said as much when reflecting on his third ATP Masters 1000 trophy and his return to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“It feels amazing to lift the trophy here, to recover the No. 1 [ranking]. I would say this has been the perfect tournament,” he reflected. “It was good for me, [at] this tournament that I really wanted to win, and for me, it’s amazing.”

Alcaraz was untouchable from start to finish in the desert, never more so than in the title match. He did not lose a set during his run, becoming the first Indian Wells champion to achieve that feat since Roger Federer in 2017, and the first to do so in at least six matches since Rafael Nadal in 2007.

The 19-year-old entered the final with the confidence of a man who reached the final in all three of his 2023 events, including his Buenos Aires title and his eventual Indian Wells triumph. His crystal-clear thinking on the court helped him end Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak in emphatic fashion.

“I have no doubts about my shots,” he said. “I feel really comfortable on court. I really trust in every shot that I hit.

“Of course, that’s why I’m playing a great level, because if I miss, I don’t mind. I don’t care about the miss. I’m just trying to hit 100 per cent in every shot and having no doubts about the shot.”

Alcaraz reached the semi-finals last year in Indian Wells, falling in a three-set classic against countryman Nadal. Asked how he has improved since then, Alcaraz pointed to his poise rather than his game.

“I think my tennis didn’t improve so much since last year,” he explained. “What I improved a lot is to [not] take the pressure, just to play relaxed. That’s for me the most important thing. That’s why I show a great level, because I feel like I have no pressure. I enjoy. I’m playing relaxed. I would say I improved that a lot, and that’s why I’m playing a good level.”

While Alcaraz made it look easy on the court, he showed his human side by revealing that he did feel nerves.

“I try to show that [I’m relaxed], but honestly, I was nervous,” he admitted. “But this is something that I talk [about] with my team, to show the opponent that I’m relaxed, that I’m enjoying the final.

“But of course it’s normal to have nerves and you have to handle that. All the best players in the world in that moment, they handle the nerves really, really well and play such a great level. That’s what I try to do.”

He finished his answer with a smile: “But I was nervous.”

Next up for Alcaraz is a bid to defend his Miami title on the opposite coast of the United States. He will need to retain his South Florida crown to remain atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings following the year’s second ATP Masters 1000 event.

Nuno Borges has done two things on the ATP Challenger Tour this season: win matches and lift trophies.

On Sunday, the 26-year-old extended his Challenger-match winning streak to 10 by triumphing at the Arizona Tennis Classic. Borges rallied from a set down in the final to defeat qualifier Alexander Shevchenko 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 and win the premiere Challenger 175 event.

“So proud, so happy. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Borges said. “Honestly I don’t even know what to say, I was in qualies when I first signed up, but got in last minute to the main draw. Really low expectations with having a tough first round right away. Kept fighting every match one at a time.”

After earning his highest-ranked win in the opening round against World No. 38 Diego Schwartzman, Borges built upon his momentum to claim the biggest title of his career. Following his upset victory against the Argentine, Borges then defeated Roman Safiullin, Alexei Popyrin, Jan-Lennard Struff, and Shevchenko to win his fourth Challenger title.

“Somehow I found myself in the final and I finally did it,” Borges said. “I feel like I’m still absorbing it but it’s unbelievable. These last few weeks have been amazing. First Challenger 175 event, it’s a very special place. It motivates me a lot for everything else.”

Nuno Borges celebrates his title at the Arizona Tennis Classic with a pool plunge. Credit: Mary Grace Grabill

The former Mississippi State University standout displayed first-class court coverage and stayed consistent on serve in Sunday’s final, including winning 15 of 21 points off his second delivery. Despite dropping the opening set against Shevchenko, Borges relied on what he believes has been the key to his recent success.

“Trying to problem solve the one match I have ahead of me, not worrying about much else,” Borges said. “Once I’m [in the match], I just leave it all out there.”

Now at a career-high No. 68 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, Borges has won 20 of 22 sets played at the Challenger level this year, including triumphing at last month’s Monterrey Challenger.

Shevchenko, 22, completed a strong week with a finalist finish at the Phoenix Country Club. The qualifier earned victories against Gael Monfils, Marc-Andrea Huesler, Matteo Berrettini and Quentin Halys. On Monday, Shevchenko will rise to a career-high No. 101 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

In other Challenger Tour action Sunday, Hamad Medjedovic defeated Croatian Nino Serdarusic 6-4, 6-3 to win the Kiskut Open in Szekesfehervar, Hungary. The 19-year-old Medjedovic, who climbs to a career-high 192, is the fourth Serbian teenager to win multiple Challenger titles, joining Novak Djokovic (3), Janko Tipsarevic (3), and Miomir Kecmanovic (2).

In Vina del Mar, Chile, Thiago Seyboth Wild defeated Frenchman Hugo Gaston 7-5, 6-1 to win the Vina Challenger Tennis. Seyboth Wild, 23, earned a special exemption after a finalist finish at last week’s Santiago Challenger. The Brazilian has won 11 of his past 12 Challenger-level matches.

Making a splash in Phoenix 🤳💦🏊‍♂️#ATPChallenger | @aztennisclassic | @nunoborges97 pic.twitter.com/BgbclzYfzK

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) March 20, 2023

After a lopsided defeat like the one Daniil Medvedev suffered Sunday in the BNP Paribas Open final, it can be hard to know whether to laugh or cry. For the fifth seed — who saw his 19-match win streak snapped by Carlos Alcaraz, 6-3, 6-2 in a first Indian Wells title match for both — it’s the former.

“I think this one I will get over pretty quickly,” he said in his post-match press conference, noting his positive mindset after winning three straight titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai. “I managed to make my best result in Indian Wells where before I couldn’t make it to the quarters, and already my second match was a three-setter.

“A lot of positives, for sure. I think this one, I will be forever disappointed that I didn’t win the final, but I can laugh already and whatever, I’m gonna try to win the next one or win this one next year. Looking forward already and, for sure, will not think too much about this one but will discuss it with my coach.”

Medvedev was well below his best, while Alcaraz was firing on all cylinders in the pair’s second ATP Head2Head meeting and first since Wimbledon 2021, when Medvedev cruised to a straight-sets win.

The biggest disappointment for the fifth seed, aside from falling short of a fifth ATP Masters 1000 title, was a missed opportunity to tie his career-long win streak of 20 matches. 

“Damn, one away from my record. That’s actually disappointing,” he said with a smile.

“This would be cool to try to beat it and maybe try to prolong it as long as possible. It’s great to have these streaks,” continued Medvedev, who was bidding to become the first man to win four titles in five weeks since Andy Murray in 2016.

“Really disappointed that it ended, but a lot of confidence from this streak. Because last year, that’s what I was missing, these streaks. I was doing sometimes finals, semis in Cincinnati, kind of playing good but not playing well enough in the semis. I managed to win 19 matches in a row. I’m proud of it, and now it’s time to try to build a new streak. There is no other way in tennis.”

At 27, Medvedev can be considered a veteran of the ATP Tour. As such, he can take heart from his experience on the other end of one-sided results in marquee matchups. He recalled his 6-4, 6-4 win against Novak Djokobvic in the Dubai final earlier this month, a match in which the Serbian could not summon his best level.

Further reflecting on Sunday’s final, Medvedev struggled to diagnose the problems with his game, but he had no issue accepting the result.

“Why didn’t I play my best? I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe it was his ball. Maybe it was the wind. It was pretty windy today, and for him it was easier to go through this wind, and that’s normal. That’s what’s easier to do for him.

“So I have no real reasons, and sometimes in tennis you don’t have them. Disappointed with the result, but the week was amazing. Because Indian Wells, to make final, I’m just super happy and proud… I see only good things, and looking forward to Miami, for sure.”

Carlos Alcaraz completed a dominant run to his maiden BNP Paribas Open title on Sunday with perhaps his most one-sided victory of the tournament, a 6-3, 6-2 stunner against Daniil Medvedev. The 19-year-old Spaniard, who did not lose a set in six Indian Wells matches, will return to World No. 1 in Monday’s Pepperstone ATP Rankings behind his trophy triumph.

“It means a lot to me. To recover the No. 1 [ranking] is crazy for me,” Alcaraz said after wrapping up the win in a rapid one hour, 10 minutes. “But especially to lift the trophy here for me means a lot… I love this tournament. I really enjoy my time here and of course I felt the love from the people from day one. For me, it’s amazing to complete these 10 days like this.”

Now a three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion as the reigning titlist in Miami and Madrid, Alcaraz is the ninth and youngest man to win both legs of the Sunshine Double — Indian Wells and Miami — in his career. He joins countryman Rafael Nadal as the only players to win at least three Masters 1000 titles as a teenager, with Nadal having won six before turning 20.

Medvedev saw his 19-match and three-tournament winning streak come to a close as Alcaraz expertly handled the windy desert conditions, the top seed’s patient but aggressive game plan reaping rewards with an immediate break in both sets. After racing to a 3-0 lead in the opening set, Alcaraz won the first 10 points of the second on the way to a 4-0 advantage.

Alcaraz hit 18 winners to Medvedev’s five and won 10 of 13 net points in an all-action victory. The Spaniard also found success with his patented drop shot time and again, taking advantage of his opponent’s deep court position. 

It was a somewhat puzzling performance on the whole for Medvedev, who played some of his best tennis of the year against Frances Tiafoe in Saturday’s semi-finals.

Alcaraz wrapped up the statement victory without facing a break point to re-establish himself at the pinnacle of the men’s game. In order to maintain his position atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Alcaraz must complete the calendar-year Sunshine Double by defending his Miami title over the course of the next two weeks.

“Of course winning a tournament, it gives you a lot of confidence [entering Miami],” the Spaniard said, looking ahead to the year’s second ATP Masters 1000 event. “I’m playing great. Of course today, the conditions today were pretty tough. Of course Daniil didn’t play at his best, obviously. All I can say is I’m really happy with my performance, the way that I [was] playing this tournament. I’m looking forward to playing this level in Miami as well.”

Alcaraz and Medvedev did not meet in 2022 despite both men debuting as World No. 1 and spending 16 weeks atop the Pepperstone ATP Rankings during the year. Their lone previous ATP Head2Head meeting came at Wimbledon in 2021, when Medvedev cruised to a straight-sets win.

By turning the tables for a straight-sets win of his own on Sunday, Alcaraz became the first Indian Wells champion to claim the title without losing a set since Roger Federer in 2017, and the first to do so in at least six matches since Nadal in 2007. With his final victory, he improves to 8-3 in tour-level finals, including 3-0 at ATP Masters 1000, and 14-9 overall against Top 10 opponents.

Medvedev, who was at No. 12 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as recently as 12 February, will re-enter the Top 5 on Monday after he backed up consecutive titles in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai with his Indian Wells final run. The 27-year-old was playing in his 19th tour-level final at an unprecedented 19th different event.

Carlos Alcaraz will return to World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday, but the teen has no time to relax. His spot atop the standings will be at risk during the Miami Open presented by Itau.

Alcaraz will swap places with Novak Djokovic on Monday. However, Alcaraz does must defend his Miami title to stay No. 1 ahead of Djokovic on 3 April.

Pepperstone ATP Rankings (20 March)

At the start of the Miami ATP Masters 1000 event, Djokovic will own a 740-point lead over Alcaraz in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings because the 19-year-old will drop the 1,000 points he earned at the tournament last year.

If the Spaniard wins the title, he will continue adding to his total number of weeks at World No. 1, which will reach 22 over the course of the Miami Open presented by Itau.

At only 19, Alcaraz is guaranteed to spend more time at World No. 1 than Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Thomas Muster, Marcelo Rios, Carlos Moya and Patrick Rafter combined (21 weeks).

Individually, Alcaraz has also spent more time as No. 1 than the man he defeated in the BNP Paribas Open final, Daniil Medvedev (16), Andy Roddick (13), Boris Becker (12), Marat Safin (9), John Newcombe (8) and his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero (8).

The battle for World No. 1 between at least Alcaraz and Djokovic will not slow down any time soon. Both men are defending almost exactly the same number of points during the clay-court season.

Djokovic is defending 1,880 points compared to 1,870 for Alcaraz. Both reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros and claimed a Masters 1000 crown during the swing.