Carlos Alcaraz is making a compelling case for one of the greatest starts to an ATP Tour season in history. His quarter-final victory over Cameron Norrie at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells extended his undefeated streak to 16 matches in 2026.

A Historic Run

Alcaraz’s flawless opening to the year, which includes titles at the Australian Open and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, is tied for the fifth-longest winning streak to begin a season in ATP Tour history (since 1990).

Undefeated Starts to an ATP Tour Season (Since 1990)

• Novak Djokovic (2011): 41-0
• Novak Djokovic (2020): 26-0
• Rafael Nadal (2022): 20-0
• Pete Sampras (1997): 17-0
• Novak Djokovic (2013): 17-0
• Roger Federer (2018): 17-0
• Carlos Alcaraz (2026): 16-0
• Jannik Sinner (2024): 16-0
• Roger Federer (2006): 16-0

Should Alcaraz defeat Daniil Medvedev in Saturday’s semi-final to reach 17 wins, he would tie Sampras, Djokovic, and Federer for the fourth-longest winning streak to begin an ATP Tour season.

“It was really difficult, to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “I struggle a lot with his style. It’s a little bit confusing. That forehand has super topspin and he makes it bounce really high, and then the backhand is really flat and really low.”Chris Oddo, bnpparibasopen.com

Djokovic holds the record for the two best starts to a season in ATP Tour history, going 41-0 in 2011 and 26-0 in 2020. Nadal came close in 2022, winning his first 20 matches before falling to Taylor Fritz in the Indian Wells final.

Alcaraz will aim to avoid a similar fate, hoping to secure his third Indian Wells crown and finish 2026 with an unblemished 18-0 record.

“Tennis is about choosing the right shot in about half a second or one second,” Alcaraz said. “In my mind I have like five or seven options, so for me sometimes it is tricky to choose the right one. But when the match is not going your way, having that many options helps you a lot to turn it around.”Chris Oddo, bnpparibasopen.com