Carlos Alcaraz stands back up after falling backwards during his match against Arthur Rinderkneck in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open at Stadium 1 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Monday, March 9, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. Arthur Rinderknech stumbled Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open on Monday, but the 26th-seeded Frenchman failed to seal the deal.
The top-seeded Spaniard won 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-2 in Indian Wells, California.
Rinderknech won the final three points, saving a set point late in the first set tiebreaker. He then broke Alcaraz’s serve to start the second set.
Alcaraz then won 12 of his final 16 matches, rediscovering the prowess that led him to a career Grand Slam as well as the 2023 and 2024 Indian Wells Championships.
This rally allowed Alcaraz to remain perfect in 2026 with 14 wins in 14 matches, including the Australian Open Championship.
Alcaraz heaped praise on Rinderknech after the match.
“I get tired sometimes playing Roger Federer every round,” Alcaraz joked. “Yeah, sometimes it feels like they’re playing at a really crazy level.
“I don’t know if I feel it’s not right, but I always feel like the odds are against me. If I play at that level every game, I should be ranked higher.”
Alcaraz added of the initial deficit: “He was playing his best tennis at the start of the first, second. For me, it was really, really difficult. To be honest, it was a struggle, but I was really happy with the way he handled everything that was happening.
“I accepted it, kept moving forward, stayed mentally tough and tried to do it a little differently. … I think I’m just starting to play more solidly and wait for my opportunity.”
Alcaraz’s opponent in the fourth round will be 13th seeded Casper Ruud (Norway), who defeated 24th seeded Valentin Vachero (Monca) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Novak Djokovic, the man Alcaraz beat in the Melbourne final earlier this year, also claimed a three-set victory on Monday. The third-seeded Serb beat American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.
Kovacevic, a 27-year-old from New York, had a 16-6 advantage in the Aces, but it wasn’t enough.
“I didn’t have a very good rhythm on returns today, but he was making my life very difficult by returning serves,” Djokovic said. “He shook me all over and got a lot of free points. … He had a great serve today. He’s on the right track.”
In an all-American match, Alex Michelsen beat seventh-seeded Californian Taylor Fritz, the 2022 Indian Wells champion, 6-4, 7-6(6).
Defending champion 14th seed Jack Draper of Great Britain beat 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 6-1, 7-5.
Additionally, 11th seed Daniil Medvedev (Russia), 27th seed Cameron Nori (Great Britain), and Australia’s Rinky Hijikata advanced to the fourth round.
–Field level media
