Carlos Alcaraz reveals one thing he is doing exactly like Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz handed Grigor Dimitrov a 6-1, 6-1 beatdown to race into the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open 2025 at Indian Wells. The young Spaniard outclassed his opponent from the very first point and needed only 74 minutes to wrap up the match.

Alcaraz extended his winning streak at the venue to 15 matches, and has also advanced to his 15th quarterfinal at the Masters 1000 level. He simply loves the conditions here, and his results drew comparison to another player who enjoyed considerable success at Indian Wells, his own countryman Rafael Nadal.

Nadal won three titles in the California desert over the course of his career. He also used to frequently unwind by playing golf in between. Alcaraz was asked during his latest press conference if he does the same, to which he responded in the affirmative. It helps him to relax, which in turn helps him dominate his opponents on the tennis court.

"Yes. Almost every day. As I said, I love here, because I have time to spend with my team, with my family, for myself, as well. So I love playing golf. I think here is the paradise of golf. I try to have time to play golf and turn off my mind. That help me a lot then to play good tennis," Alcaraz said.

After cruising past Dimitrov, Alcaraz will take on 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo in the quarterfinals. The latter beat ninth seed Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-3 in the previous round to make the last eight here for the first time.

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Carlos Alcaraz remains on track for a third consecutive title at Indian Wells

Carlos Alcaraz at the BNP Paribas Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Carlos Alcaraz is still on course to capture his third title on the trot at the BNP Paribas Open. Only two players in the history of the tournament have previously achieved this feat. Roger Federer was the first to do so, followed by Novak Djokovic.

Should Alcaraz win his match against Francisco Cerundolo, then he will face either Ben Shelton or Jack Draper in the semifinals. Awaiting him in the final could be one of the following four players- Daniil Medvedev, Arthur Fils, Holger Rune or Tallon Griekspoor.

Medvedev will be the favorite to reach the summit clash considering his record here. He finished as the runner-up to Alcaraz for the last two years. As for the Spaniard, he has lost only two matches at Indian Wells in his career so far. Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray are the only two players to beat him here, and if only an all-time great can beat him, then he's assured of a third title here.