Alcaraz Bridges Gap To Djokovic And Sinner In Olympics Race

Two weeks in tennis is long enough to make a difference, and that's what exactly happened in Indian Wells.

According to many naysayers, Carlos Alcaraz was seemingly struggling. Since becoming a Top 10 player, he had not endured a title drought quite like the eight-month famine between Wimbledon and Indian Wells.

Additionally, there were concerns that he would restrain himself from going full throttle after injuring his ankle in Rio last month. It did not surprise people that Alcaraz was not even the top favorite to win in Indian Wells despite being the defending champion.

But since striking the first ball on his return to California, Alcaraz played with a spring in his step. He has got his campaign back on track. Not only did he retain the title, but he scored three Top 10 wins, including a classic three-set comeback against the unbeatable Jannik Sinner in the semifinal.

Having lost control of the Olympics race during his barren spell, Alcaraz has now shown interest in regaining his No. 1 ranking. He trails Novak Djokovic (the leader) and second-placed Jannik Sinner by less than 2,000 points.

Daniil Medvedev has a cushion of over 1,000 points on fifth-placed Alexander Zverev, the defending gold medalist from Tokyo. Andrey Rublev is the other Russian player in the Top 10 of the Olympic race, although it is pertinent to note that he will compete as a neutral athlete.

Alex de Minaur, Hubert Hurkacz, and Grigor Dimitrov will be their countries' top-ranked players. Indian Wells semifinalist Tommy Paul is the top-ranked American in the race, ahead of Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton.

China's Zhizhen Zhang is the only man assured of his place at the showpiece event in Paris after winning a gold medal at the Asian Games last year. While players like Rafael Nadal are seeking an exemption to compete at the event.

A total of 56 players will qualify based on their ranking of June 10th, 2024, which will be in line with the Olympics race final standings.