Grigor Dimitrov's run at the prestigious Masters tournament in Indian Wells came to a quick end as he was eliminated in the fourth round by defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Dimitrov, seeded 14th, suffered a 1:6, 1:6 defeat in just 74 minutes, in a game that highlighted the Spaniard's dominance on the court.

Alcaraz, ranked second, managed to adapt better to the challenging windy conditions, while Dimitrov appeared fatigued after his grueling 3-hour victory over Gael Monfils in the previous round. From the start, Dimitrov struggled, allowing an early break and failing to mount any significant challenge to Alcaraz's clinical performance. Despite a few flashes of impressive play, the Bulgarian was unable to maintain consistency, with Alcaraz quickly wrapping up the match with two sets of five games.

The 33-year-old Dimitrov was ineffective on serve, winning only 50% of his first serve points (17 of 34) and committing four double faults. In contrast, Alcaraz, who hit 20 winners to Dimitrov's 12, made only half the number of unforced errors, finishing the match with impressive control.

"I had to survive today," Alcaraz said, acknowledging the difficulty of playing in the windy conditions. He praised Dimitrov's talent but noted that he had managed to stay solid during the longer rallies, which allowed him to secure the win. This victory marked Alcaraz's fourth win in six meetings against Dimitrov, breaking the Bulgarian's streak of two consecutive victories.

Looking ahead, Alcaraz will face Francisco Cerundolo in the quarterfinals after the Argentine defeated Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-3.