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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates was spotted in the stands watching the second-round match between the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Arnaldi on Friday, March 8. The Spaniard prevailed 6-7(5), 6-0, 6-1.
Gates is a frequent attendee in tennis tournaments and has teamed up with Roger Federer for charity matches in the past, such as 'The Match For Africa' in 2020, where they faced Rafael Nadal and Trevor Noah in front of a crowd of 50,000+ people in Cape Town, South Africa.
The video of Gates watching Friday's match was shared on X (formerly Twitter).
Alcaraz's win set up a third-round clash with the 31st-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat Constant Lestienne in straight sets in his previous match. The Canadian has a 3-1 head-to-head advantage over Alcaraz, having beaten him in their first three encounters, including the 2021 US Open quarterfinal. They last met at the 2023 Indian Wells Masters, where the Spaniard defeated Auger-Aliassime in straight sets.
The winner of their upcoming match will face either Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild or Fabio Marozsan in the fourth round.
"I know it’s going to be really difficult, but I'm here to try to defend the title" - Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz has had a mixed start to the 2024 season, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where he lost to sixth seed Alexander Zverev in a four-set thriller.
The Spaniard also reached the semifinals at the Argentina Open as the top seed but lost to third seed and eventual runner-up Nicolas Jarry in straight sets. The 20-year-old suffered an ankle injury in Rio de Janeiro that forced him to retire in his opening match against Thiago Monteiro.
Alcaraz is now hoping to defend his Indian Wells crown and revive his form in the desert. The Spaniard provided insights into his strategy for the upcoming campaign.
"It's great to be back. I'm really happy to be able to play here again, a place that I love to play," Carlos Alcaraz said in his pre-tournament press conference, as per ATPTour.com. "I love being here. I get so much peace here, so it's great."
"I'm coming here to defend the title. It’s difficult… There are the best tennis players in the world, some of them are playing great tennis this year. I know it’s going to be really difficult, but I'm here to do it. I'm here to try to defend the title. I've been feeling well in practice,” he added.
