The 2024 BNP Paribas Open has officially concluded, and Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek walked away from the Indian Wells Tennis Garden as champions.
Both Alcaraz and Swiatek received $1.1 million in prize money for their achievements, the largest sum ever awarded at what is informally known as the Indian Wells Open.
Carlos Alcaraz Overcomes Doubts to Secure 2nd Consecutive Title
Carlos Alcaraz, 20, arrived at Indian Wells with lingering doubts surrounding his twisted right ankle, according to Tennis.com. But that didn’t stop him from fighting his way to victory.
In the men’s final on Sunday, March 17, Alcaraz played a grueling first set against Daniil Medvedev, ultimately defeating the Russian player 7-6 (5), 6-1.
Alcaraz and Medvedev have faced off on six occasions, per Tennis Majors. The initial encounter took place at Wimbledon in 2021, where Medvedev defeated Alcaraz 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. The pair’s next matchup was last year at the 2023 Indian Wells Finals. There, Alcaraz defeated Medvedev 6-3, 6-2.
Alcaraz told reporters in his post-match interview that the feeling of this win was “difficult to put it into words because [he] had really difficult months.”
“Let’s say the last two months it was difficult for me to find myself,” he said. “I didn’t enjoy stepping on the court. I wasn’t myself on the court the last two months, three months, so it was difficult for me. It means a lot to me, lifting this trophy because I overcome a lot of problems in my head, a lot of problems physically. It was so special for that.”
“That’s why I’m really, really happy to lift this trophy, because I found myself at this tournament, and I felt really, really good.”
So happy to win the 🏆 in Indian Wells, but above all with my level this week against the best in the world! It means so much to me! 🤩 Your support has been vital, once again! VAMOS! 🧠❤️🥚🥚
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Iga Swiatek Continued Her Dominance & Celebrated Win with Zendaya
On the women’s side, Iga Swiatek maintained her position as No. 1 in the world. In the women’s final, the 22-year-old Polish tennis star defeated Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0.
Swiatek raced to a 3-0 lead in the opening set against Sakkari. Although Sakkari mounted a brief comeback, Swiatek maintained her composure and closed the set with precision and confidence. She went on to win six straight games in a row.
Throughout the entire tournament, Swiatek dropped just 21 games in six matches. Swiatek’s continuous on-court dominance earned her the 2024 Indian Wells title and admiration from fans and peers.
There to support Swiatek on her victory was American actress and singer Zendaya.
Two desert champions ☺️ @iga_swiatek x @Zendaya
Zendaya stood proudly next to Swiatek as she held her trophy.
Following her win, TENNIS.com reported that Andy Roddick told the Tennis Channel that “Iga has become more bankable over the course of her career. As good as we all know she is, her career at this point is almost undersold. … She’s approaching the rare air: [Justine] Henin, [Maria] Sharapova, Lindsay [Davenport], [Kim] Clijsters.”
🌴🫶🏼 So, so proud of myself and the team. Thank you for the support and making me feel so comfortable in Tennis Paradise.
🌴🫶🏼Dumna z siebie i z całego zespołu. Dziękuję Wam za to, że tym “tenisowym raju” czułam się tak dobrze.
Swiatek was particularly excited about this win. In her post-match interview, the Russian told reporters: “Right now, I just feel like I’ve done really good work,” Swiatek continued, “I just know that it hasn’t been easy after Australian, and I’ve been working really hard to play well and to handle everything mentally well. I’m just proud of myself because of that.”
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Carlos Alcaraz & Iga Swiatek Claim Indian Wells Titles