INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Carlos Alcaraz, a two-time defending champion at the BNP Paribas Open, said the absence of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner “didn’t change [anything] at all” for him in his preparation for this week’s tournament at Indian Wells.
Sinner, the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion and a 2024 Indian Wells semifinalist, is serving a three-month suspension after twice testing positive for trace amounts of Clostebol nearly a year ago.
He is eligible to return during the clay season in May.
“Jannik’s not playing, but there are a lot of the best players in the world [who] are playing here,” Alcaraz told reporters Tuesday during his media day news conference. “I think the draw is really open, and a lot of players [are] playing great tennis.
“For me, coming here to approach the tournament, it doesn’t change at all. I’m just focused on my things, on myself, and I try to play good tennis here.”
Alcaraz, 21, will look to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as just the third man in history to win three consecutive titles in the California desert.
But he said his focus isn’t on making history.
“I will try not to think about it. I will try just to enjoy it,” Alcaraz said. “Because this tournament — every time that I come here, I enjoy so much … practicing, playing. Everything for me here is so easy. So all I’m thinking is to enjoy this tournament. I’m waiting the whole year just to come back here.
“So I will try not to think about it. Just flow and see how it’s going to be. … But it is something that for me would be great to achieve.”
Alcaraz has a first-round bye and will play his second-round match Saturday against Quentin Halys or a qualifier.
