Defend Title, Rebrand as Serve-Bot

By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Photo credit: Cameron Spencer/Getty

Palm Springs is a popular retirement spot.

Carlos Alcaraz sees it as a reinvention realm.

Two-time defending BNP Paribas Open champion Alcaraz is playing for a rare three-peat in Indian Wells while rebranding as “close to a serve-bot.”

The second-seeded Alcaraz will launch his Indian Wells title defense against either red-hot Frenchman Quentin Halys or a qualifier.

Should seeds hold true to form, Alcaraz will square off against Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic in an Indian Wells quarterfinal clash that would be a rematch of the 2024 Wimbledon final, Olympic gold-medal final and the Australian Open quarterfinals where the Serbian superstar rallied from a set down to knock out the Spaniard.

The 21-year-old Alcaraz rides a 12-match Indian Wells winning streak as he aims to join Djokovic and his tennis hero, Roger Federer, in pulling off a three-peat in Tennis Paradise.

“I know that this is something that only two players have done in the history, I think,” Alcaraz told the media in Indian Wells in today’s pre-tournament presser. “So I’m here to take that pressure, let’s say. I will try not to think about it. I will try just to enjoy it.

“Because this tournament, every time that I come here, I enjoy so much, you know, 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, the tournament. But it is something that for me would be great to achieve.”

In addition to his three-peat quest, Alcaraz will try to adapt to a new, faster Indian Wells surface and fulfil his aim to sharpen his serve and reach “serve-bot” status.

A key aim for the Alcaraz this year: Create more comfortable service holds.

Though Alcaraz can blast 130 mph-plus first-serves, can serve with hellacious spin and dots all areas of the box, he clocked in at only No. 30 on the ATP Tour in first-serve points won in 2024 (73 percent) and was No. 12 in the vital service games won category (85.4 percent).

That’s low for a four-time Grand Slam champion of Alcaraz’s caliber.

In contrast, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner was No. 1 in service games won (91.4 percent) and was second in first-serve points won (79.3 percent) last year.

Working with coaches Juan Carlos Ferrero and Samuel Lopez to streamline his serve motion, Alcaraz said today he’s pleased with his second serve and believes the first serve “could be better.”

“I’m feeling great. I’m feeling like an upgrade on the serve,” told the media in Indian Wells. “So just to keep believing on the movement, on the serve, because I know that there is going to be a great serve.

“My second serve, I trust a lot. My second serve I think is a really good and solid one. The first serve could be better. But, you know, every day I’m feeling the progress. But sometimes, you know, in the matches, during the practices, you don’t feel as good as you want it, so you have to separate playing from the baseline than the serve.”

This season, Alcaraz is holding serve at an 86.83 clip, which is 14th on the ATP Tour, and has won 75 percent of first-serve points.

If the stadium court is indeed playing faster this year as some players have said, then Alcaraz’s ability to control the first shot after the serve will be crucial as he strives for a rare three-eat and serve-bot status.

“So if the serve doesn’t work at all, I mean, you can play good tennis from the baseline and forget about the serve,” Alcaraz said. “But right now, I’m feeling great.

“I’m really happy about everything I’m doing with the serve, so I’m close to be a serve-bot, I guess.”