Carlos Alcaraz ready for Indian Wells title defence

Carlos Alcaraz (20) affirms that the ankle injury, which compelled him to withdraw from the Rio Open last month, is improving, and his sole focus remains on safeguarding his Indian Wells championship.

The Spaniard, who dominated Daniil Medvedev in the final of the California desert last year, was forced to withdraw from his match in Rio de Janeiro after just two games due to a twisted right ankle.

This is the most recent setback for the world number two, who hasn't claimed a title since defeating Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final back in July.

He suffered a loss in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January and was defeated in straight sets by Nicolas Jarry in the semi-finals of the Argentina Open last month.

However, he managed to bounce back and defeat Rafa Nadal in an exhibition match in Las Vegas on Sunday. Despite feeling good during his practices, he anticipated concerns about his injury.

"Some people might be wondering about my ankle, whether I'm at 100% or not, but I'm improving," he informed reporters.

"I'm here to defend my title and I'm solely focused on that."

Following a ceremony where a mural celebrating his victory from last year was unveiled, the two-time Grand Slam champion admitted that he is still adjusting to his newfound fame.

"There are days when you wake up feeling down and just want to hide or not be recognized," he confessed.

"But I try to approach it naturally. People know me, recognize me, and I think that's a positive thing."

The tournament's second seed will commence his title defense on Friday against Matteo Arnaldi.