Despite ankle discomfort, Alcaraz still advances to the fourth round of Indian Wells.

Carlos Alcaraz fought bravely to secure a comeback victory in the round of 16 at this year's Indian Wells.

Current world number one tennis player Carlos Alcaraz qualifies for the fourth round of the ATP 1000 tournament. Indian Wells 2026 after a comeback win of 2-1 (6-7; 6-3; 6-2) against Arthur Rinderknech on March 10th Vietnam time.

Before this match took place, Alcaraz dominated Rinderknech in head-to-head records, winning all five previous encounters, with the most recent meeting occurring less than a month ago at the Qatar Open— the tournament where the Spanish player claimed the championship. Nevertheless, Rinderknech consistently managed to create certain difficulties thanks to his textbook-style serve-forehand combo.

Alcaraz encountered challenging moments: saving 4 break-points, scraping his shoe on the court to retrieve his opponent's shot, and even experiencing a situation where Carlitos' ankle twisted after a ball-saving effort. The 22-year-old player also conceded a set when unable to overcome Rinderknech in the tie-break, but in difficult moments, he demonstrated the caliber and composure of the reigning world number one, the youngest player in history to complete a Career Grand Slam.

For Rinderknech, failing to finish points cleanly against Alcaraz wore down the French player's stamina. Additionally, the court speed at Indian Wells slowed significantly towards evening and night, diminishing the effectiveness of the serves from the reigning Shanghai Masters runner-up. The world's 28th-ranked player faced 10 break-points in the remaining two sets, saving 6, which proved insufficient to help him create an upset.

The victory over Arthur Rinderknech sends Carlos Alcaraz into the fourth round of this year's Indian Wells, where he will face Casper Ruud, who also staged a comeback to defeat Valentin Vacherot—Rinderknech's cousin. If he continues to defeat Ruud, Carlitos' potential opponent in the quarter-finals will be Cameron Norrie.