World number one Carlos Alcaraz fought back from a set and a break down to defeat Arthur Rinderknech 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-2 and reach the fourth round at Indian Wells on Monday, extending his unbeaten run in 2026.

The powerful-serving Frenchman pushed Alcaraz to the limit, using his aggressive style to force the Spaniard into a tense battle that required the top seed to rely on the full range of his game.

Alcaraz will now face 13th seed Casper Ruud for a place in the quarter-finals.

“Really happy that I was able to turn things around,” Alcaraz said after the match.

The Spaniard came close to snatching the opening set during a dramatic tie-break, where he had trailed 2-5. However, a forehand error on set point allowed Rinderknech to seize the opportunity and close out the set with two winners.

Rinderknech carried that momentum into the second set, breaking Alcaraz in the opening game to put the world number one under immediate pressure.

But Alcaraz responded quickly with a break of his own and gradually began to assert control. He stepped up the intensity on Rinderknech’s serve and earned a crucial break in the sixth game before levelling the match.

The turning point came early in the third set when Alcaraz broke again, giving him the platform to take command of the contest. From there, he pulled away comfortably to secure his sixth win in as many meetings with the 26th-ranked Frenchman.

“In the beginning I was a little bit mad with myself because I had a lot of chances in the first set — a few break points, a set point — and I couldn’t make it,” Alcaraz said.

“I got in trouble, to be honest. But I’m really happy with the way I dealt with everything that was happening, accepted it, kept going and stayed strong mentally.”

Rinderknech arrived in the third round without playing a match in Indian Wells this year, receiving a first-round bye and then advancing by walkover. Despite pushing Alcaraz hard, he leaves the tournament still searching for his first on-court win at the event.

Alcaraz, 22, recently became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. He followed that success by claiming the Qatar Open title.

With two wins now at Indian Wells, the Spaniard has improved to 14-0 for the season.

His next opponent, Ruud, advanced after battling past Valentin Vacherot 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.