For the fifth consecutive year, Carlos Alcaraz is once again into the Indian Wells semifinal after overcoming Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-4 in the quarterfinals on Thursday at Indian Wells.
It was a match that, despite Norrie having his moments and producing multiple breaks of serve, was largely played on Alcaraz’s terms, as the Spaniard secured yet another final-four appearance in the desert, exacting revenge on the Briton after Norrie won their previous meeting at the Paris Masters last year.
Winning Streak Continues in 2026
In doing so, Alcaraz improved to 16-0 in 2026, a streak that began in Melbourne, included a title at the Qatar Open, and has now continued at Indian Wells, where in his four matches so far, the Spaniard has dropped just one set and been broken three times in total.
He also became only the fourth player in the Open Era to win at least 34 consecutive matches on outdoor hard courts, joining an elite group that includes Jimmy Connors, Roger Federer, and Pete Sampras.
That run is part of an even larger stretch of dominance, with Alcaraz winning 72 of his previous 77 matches on tour, a truly all-time great run that includes Alcaraz winning three Major titles and reaching the final in the fourth one.
Alcaraz Surpasses Federer in Key Career Stat
All of these remarkable runs have now helped Alcaraz overtake Federer in a notable statistical category. The Spaniard now owns a career match win percentage of 81.99%, slightly higher than Federer’s 81.97%. Among players with at least 250 tour wins, he now trails only Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Bjorn Borg in match win percentage.
With more history and records potentially on the line, Alcaraz will next face Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. It will be their third meeting at Indian Wells, after the two previously contested the 2023 and 2024 finals, both of which were won by Alcaraz in straight sets.
Main photo credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
