Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells 2025: Can Spaniard achieve what only Novak Djokovic & Roger Federer have done until now?

Carlos Alcaraz will be on the cusp of history when he takes to the court at Indian Wells 2025. The Spanish superstar has won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 and will start as a strong favorite to make it a three-peat.

In the Open Era history, only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have won the Indian Wells title three times in a row. Federer won his first Indian Wells title in 2004 and defended his title twice in the next two years. The Swiss maestro dominated the competition, winning the event in 2004, 2005, and 2006 before losing his title to his long-term rival Rafael Nadal in 2007. Federer suffered a barren spell for six years before winning two more titles in 2012 and 2017.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic won his maiden Indian Wells title in 2008 by defeating Mardy Fish in the final. The Serb star has won five titles in total, the joint-most with Roger Federer, at the Indian Wells.

Djokovic's best spell of dominance came from 2014 to 2016 when he won three Indian Wells titles in a row. Since then, Djokovic has failed to win the tournament and will aim for a record-breaking sixth title in 2020. However, he will start as an underdog, with Carlos Alcaraz the favorite to continue his dominance at the BNP Paribas Open.

At 21, Alcaraz has already won two Indian Wells titles in a row, a feat achieved by greats like Pete Sampras and Boris Becker. The young Spaniard can claim a place in the history books as the only player after Federer and Djokovic to complete a three-peat at the BNP Paribas Open.

Carlos Alcaraz will start as the favorite at the Indian Wells 2025

Carlos Alcaraz will start as the favorite to retain his Indian Wells title in 2025. Despite being the second seed at the tournament, the Spanish star has the form and history on his side going into the event. Alcaraz's rival, Jannik Sinner, is set to miss BNP Paribas 2025 due to his three-month ban, making the Spaniard's route to the trophy clearer.

Alcaraz has been handed a tricky draw, which could see him face two previous winners before reaching the final. The 22-year-old will kick-start his campaign against a qualifier in round 2 before potentially facing Denis Shapovalov in the third round.

A potential clash with Grigor Dimitrov awaits in the fourth round before a blockbuster match against Novak Djokovic at the quarter-final stage. If Alcaraz manages to reach the semifinals, he could face former winner Taylor Fritz or home favorite Ben Shelton.

A potential final against the top seed, Alexander Zverev, could be on the cards at the Indian Wells. This would be a replay of the 2024 French Open final, which Carlos Alcaraz won in a five-set thriller.