Recently, Alcaraz talked about the changes to the Indian Wells stadium this year and couldn't understand why the venue materials were being changed. Ahead of the start of the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, Spanish star Alcaraste pointed out the controversial changes to the tournament that the tournament has made to the course.

The hard courts at Indian Wells have been a hot topic in recent years, with players generally agreeing that the tournament is slower than other Masters venues. In 2023, two-time runner-up Dmitry Medvedev was furious over the conditions on the pitch.

"I know what a hard court is, I'm a hard court expert, but it's not a hard court!" Medvedev angrily said at the time, "It's a shame for the sport that there shouldn't be a tournament here, this stadium is ridiculous!" It's ridiculous that they call it a hard court. ”

Surprisingly, Indian Wells announced a change of pitch surface supplier from Plexipave to Laykold a few days before the 2025 game. This year's course will reportedly be faster and the ball will bounce lower.

Speaking about the change, Alcaraz said in his pre-match press conference: "The pitch has gotten faster, right? I do not know. To be honest, when I heard the news, I didn't understand why such a change was made. ”

Alcaraz prefers slower courses, adding: "For the last 25 years, the tournament has been using the same pitch and now it's suddenly changing, I don't know why they're doing it. ”

This is not the first time Alcaraz has expressed his displeasure with the speed of the Earth. At the 2024 Paris Masters, he reacted in a similar way after his second-round exit on the fast hard courts. Alcaraz said he has not yet trained on his new pitch and will need time to adapt to the new conditions. Still, he believes he has the ability to adjust his style of play in different conditions.

"I haven't practiced yet, so I don't know the situation. But I think I'm a player who can adapt well to different pitches and conditions. Even though the court gets faster, I can still play great tennis. But the only thing I want to say is that when I see the change, I don't understand it. ”

The 21-year-old Spaniard has already won the title in Rotterdam this season and is on his way to his second title of the season. As the No. 2 seed, Alcaraz has a bye in the first round and will face either Halys or Busta in the second round.

However, world number six Medvedev has once again been critical of the slow hard courts at Indian Wells. The Russian arrived in California this week and has already trained on the field.

Last year, Medvedev was in the spotlight for his strong criticism of Indian Wells' slow, hard-court courts. This year, the tournament has undergone a refurbishment of the venue, but Medvedev still believes that the stadium is slower than before.

"To be honest, I love Indian Wells and even the courses now, but they seem to be slower than they used to be, very slow. I don't know what the other players think, but as I said, I've only been here for two days and I'm still jet-lagged. Sometimes your perception may not be accurate, so I'm not 100% sure if my feeling is correct. Medvedev said at a press conference in Indian Wells.

The 29-year-old Russian will play Indian Wells for the eighth time this year. He has a good record in this competition, winning 16 of his 23 matches and reaching the finals in 2023 and 2024. However, he has lost to Alcaraz in two sets in each of his last two finals.

In addition, Medvedev also talked about adjusting the racket and string to better suit the course conditions. He says he prefers to make minimal adjustments and continue to use the racket that has helped him achieve great results.

"You always have to find a balance between finding change and being stable. The more you change, the more questions you have. I did try a couple of the same Tecnifibre rackets, but with a slightly heavier weight and a difference in hitting speed. But for now, I'm going to stick with my racket because it's given me a lot of good moments in my career and I don't think I'm going to change it much. Medvedev said.

At the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, Medvedev will play as the No. 5 seed. He had a bye in the first round and will face China's Buyun Chaokert in the second round.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)