Indian Wells: Alcaraz vs Kokkinakis Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Indian Wells Masters as Carlos Alcaraz takes on Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Round of 64 on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

Will Carlos Alcaraz get the win? Will Thanasi Kokkinakis pull off the upset? This will be an interesting one, where we have the top seed to take the court against a tough opponent. Who will triumph and move through to the Round of 32 at the 2023 Indian Wells Masters?

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis Match Preview

Carlos Alcaraz comes into Indian Wells as the top seed for the first time as he makes his return to the hard courts for the first time since the Paris Masters last year. As he comes up against Thanasi Kokkinakis, he’s certainly the favorite but he’ll know the kind of tennis the Australian is capable of and he’ll be wary of his opponent as he looks to grab an opening win to kick off his campaign here at the 2023 Indian Wells Masters.

Thanasi Kokkinakis has one of the toughest possible tasks ahead of him as he must take on World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. Though Kokkinakis is capable of some brilliant tennis and has gotten some big wins in his career, Alcaraz moves so well that I don’t feel that Kokkinakis will be able to effectively use his power to finish points from the baseline. I expect Alcaraz to be the one dictating from the back of the court as the Spaniard looks to book his place in the Round of 32 at the 2023 Indian Wells Masters.

Carlos Alcaraz vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis Prediction and Pick

Carlos Alcaraz and Thanasi Kokkinakis have never met before, with this being their first career meeting. As previously mentioned, this matchup won’t be the best for Kokkinakis, I think his best bet will be to stay away from longer rallies where Alcaraz will be able to stay far more consistent and slowly construct the points in his favor. Let’s see if Kokkinakis is able to play an aggressive style and somehow flip the script, but I expect Alcaraz to stay steady and move through to the next round of the 2023 Indian Wells Masters.