21 March 2023 , 15:38
859
0
Carlos Alcaraz has been hailed as the "Mike Tyson of tennis" as a result of the blistering form that saw him cruise to his first Indian Wells title.
Teenage superstar Alcaraz crushed in-form Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3 6-2 in a 71-minute masterclass of ruthless hitting in Sunday's showpiece final in California.
The 19-year-old reclaimed his world no.1 spot in the ATP rankings from Novak Djokovic, who had missed the tournament due to US travel rules surrounding his vaccine status.
And after winning the US Open last year, Alcaraz has yet again showcased why he is regarded as the future of the sport with a clinical display against Medvedev.
Alcaraz - who missed the Australian Open through injury - ended Medvedev's 19-match winning streak with a thrashing in a match that had been billed as a close encounter.
I cancelled 18th birthday party to KO Tyson record as youngest heavyweight king
And Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara has heaped praise on the Spaniard, comparing his ability to make his opponent feel 'helpless' to Tyson, the youngest ever heavyweight boxing champion.
Alcaraz did not drop a single set at the Indian Wells in six matches (Getty Images)"Alcaraz is the Tyson of tennis,” Cervara told L’Equipe. “He is able to hit those forehands at certain times with his racket. There were shots with which he put Daniil ten metres from the ball after hitting with insane power and speed.
“We knew that quality about him, but he's amazing. He leaves the rival helpless from him. Contrary to my impression, I didn't feel like he could fail. We'll have to look for his mistakes."
The 22-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic is still considered the man to beat in men's tennis but Alcaraz has certainly sent a strong statement to the Serbian icon after not dropping a single set in six matches at the prestigious Masters 1000 event.
Medvedev was blown away by Alcaraz in Sunday's final (Ella Ling/REX/Shutterstock)Medvedev's coach Cervara was in awe at Alcaraz's brilliance and insisted that only elite players on the top of their game will prove a match for the youngster.
The Frenchman added: "Playing against Alcaraz will force your opponents to ask themselves: ‘What do I have to improve? How should I play him?"
“It has become quite a challenge for his rivals. And if you don't stop telling yourself that you're not playing correctly, you'll get a bag of points. To those who have weapons to stand up to him, he will require them to take their game to another dimension.”