Only one month after it was taken away from him, Carlos Alcaraz has soared again to the World No. 1 spot, retaking the crown from reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic.

The Spaniard defeated Daniil Medvedev within the last of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells to leapfrog Djokovic within the ATP rankings, taking the Russian down 6-3, 6-2 in straight units. Medvedev had come into the event on the again of back-to-back-to-back title runs in Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai, making Alcaraz’s win that rather more spectacular.

The victory marks Carlos Alcaraz’s second title of the yr, having beforehand gained the Argentina Open (beat Cameron Norrie within the last). {The teenager} additionally reached the ultimate of the Rio Open the next week, the place Norrie had his revenge.

Alcaraz and Medvedev will now each transfer to the second half of the Sunshine Double – the Miami Open – the place the previous is the defending champion. The reigning US Open champion gained the title in Miami final yr by beating Casper Ruud within the last, registering his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.

The Indian Wells title this yr, in the meantime, marks his third, with the 2022 Madrid Open triumph (beat Alexander Zverev within the last) being his second. In Madrid, Alcaraz made historical past by turning into the youngest champion within the occasion’s historical past, in addition to the primary participant to defeat each Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in the identical clay event.

It needs to be famous that 22-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic was not current at Indian Wells, as he was unable to enter the nation as a result of current vaccine mandates within the nation. The Serb can even not be capable to take part in Miami for a similar motive.

Novak Djokovic can reclaim World No. 1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz regardless of Miami Open absence

Nevertheless, with Carlos Alcaraz being the defending champion on the Miami Open, Novak Djokovic has a shot at retaking the World No. 1 crown from him regardless of his absence within the second ATP Masters 1000 occasion of the season.

Presently, fewer than 300 rating factors separate Djokovic from Alcaraz following the Spaniard’s Indian Wells triumph — 7,420 to 7,160. If Alcaraz defends his Miami title, he’ll maintain the No. 1 spot. Nevertheless, something lower than that will probably be sufficient for the 22-time Grand Slam champion to interchange him on the prime of the rankings, as he himself has no factors to defend on the event (missed final yr as a result of similar vaccine mandate).