Carlos Alcaraz suffered a disappointing defeat in Doha (Image: Getty)
is back in training as he prepares to defend his Indian Wells title once again.
The world No. 3 has won the last two editions of the Californian Masters tournament and will try to complete a hat-trick next month.
After a disappointing run in Doha, Alcaraz has been back on the practice court, where eagle-eyed fans have spotted a key change to his equipment.
Alcaraz has returned home to Spain to begin training for the ‘sunshine double’ – the back-to-back Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami.
The 21-year-old recently suffered a disappointing defeat at the Qatar Open, going out to Jiri Lehecka in the quarter-finals. He lost the last four games in a row after leading by a break in the third set.
Alcaraz will be hoping to avoid the same mistakes in Indian Wells – where he hasn’t lost a match in three years – and at the Miami Open, where he is also a former champion.
And the world No. 3 is already taking measures to adjust to the conditions in America, even while training at his coach’s academy in Alicante, as he has been using new strings in his racket.
?????? Primer entrenamiento de Carlos Alcaraz tras caer en Doha. ?????? El segundo fin de semana de marzo comienza la defensa del título en Indian Wells, donde ha ganado en 2023 y 2024. ?????? Nuevo cordaje para la gira estadounidense.
— Germán R. Abril (@gerebit0)
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Plenty of players are tweaking their equipment so it’s no surprise that Alcaraz is following suit to make sure he finds the best formula to adjust to the types of balls used during the sunshine double.
The Spaniard has been one of several players who has being used at different tournaments, and using new strings will be a helpful way to adjust to the changes.
During the recent Rotterdam Open – where he went on to lift the title – Alcaraz said: “I think there were a lot of injuries last year, a lot of players with elbow or shoulder injuries.
“They need to change something. I know they’re going to change it. Every week, practically every week we have different balls, different conditions, so it’s difficult to adapt to it.”
While Alcaraz has been busy using new strings, one of his rivals has taken things a step further by testing out an entirely new racket. has been competing with a blacked out frame at this week’s ATP 500 in Dubai.
Explaining his decision to try a new model, the Greek star said: “There have been some changes on the ATP Tour.
“Balls and courts have become slower and slower and I’m just trying to adapt to that… One of the things I wasn’t having a great time was these slow conditions.”
Madison Keys also famously switched from Wilson to Yonex rackets during the off-season and saw an immediate improvement, winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the .