Boris Becker makes his feelings on Carlos Alcaraz's 'charisma' and 'infectious' smile as Spaniard opens up on Indian Wells three-peat

Tennis legend Boris Becker has praised Carlos Alcaraz's smile and charm ahead of his campaign at the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells. The German's comments followed Alcaraz's statements about him aiming to win the tournament for the third time in a row.

The Spaniard has dominated the previous two editions of the BNP Paribas Open, notably defeating Daniil Medvedev in both the 2023 and 2024 finals.

Alcaraz earned a straight-sets 6-3, 6-2 victory over Medvedev in 2023 and achieved a similar result in 2024, winning 7-6, 6-1. He now enters the tournament as the two-time defending champion, aiming for a three-peat - a milestone only Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer have crossed.

During his pre-tournament press conference, the World No. 3 was asked for his thoughts on winning the Indian Wells Masters for the third consecutive time. Alcaraz replied that he was prepared for the pressure but wouldn’t dwell on it, as he was there to enjoy his time.

"I'm ready to deal with that pressure, but I don't want to think a lot about that. I want to enjoy my time here. Everything here is very easy going and I'm usually very happy here. And when I'm happy I play better," he said.

Tennis insider Jose Morgado shared the quotes on X:

Apart from Alcaraz's achievements, his on-court demeanor, especially his smile, has been a frequent topic of discussion among fans and pundits alike. Six-time Major champion Boris Becker also echoed this sentiment, praising the 21-year-old's 'charisma' and 'infectious' smile.

"Carlos smile is infectious…in the history of the game I don’t remember many players with such charisma!" he wrote.

Carlos Alcaraz leads the pack in 2025 with an 11-2 win-loss record and would look to win his second title of 2025 in Indian Wells.

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"It was 25 years the tournament, it was the same court, and then right now has changed": Carlos Alcaraz on Indian Wells courts

Carlos Alcaraz at BNP Paribas Open - Image Source: Getty

While addressing the media, Carlos Alcaraz clarified his stance on the changes to the Indian Wells surface. For those unaware, Indian Wells announced a surface change ahead of the 2025 edition, shifting from Plexipave to Laykold. Reports suggest that this change will make the surface faster.

"The court is faster, right? I don't know. Honestly, it's a change that I didn't understand when I saw it," he said in his pre-tournament press conference.

The Spaniard, however, added that he didn’t know why the tournament made the change.

"It was 25 years the tournament, it was the same court, and then right now has changed. I don't know the reason why (they) did it," Carlos Alcaraz said.

During the 2023 edition, Daniil Medvedev vented his frustration, criticizing the slow courts.