Daniil Medvedev takes down World No. 1 in the semis to face, World No. 2 in the finals; says they're "far better than us"
Daniil Medvedev proved that even the "Next gen" is human, halting Carlos Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak on Saturday. In a tactical masterclass, the 30-year-old Russian secured a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over the World No. 1, ending the Spaniard's quest for a third consecutive Indian Wells title.
Medvedev now advances to Sunday's final to face Jannik Sinner, who maintained his own terrifying form by dismantling Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4. For Sinner, the final represents a chance to complete the "Golden Set" of all six hard-court Masters 1000 titles.
Medvedev’s match clinch
After a clean first set, the Russian found himself down 1-3 in the second as Alcaraz surged. However, Medvedev clawed back to 3-3, eventually forcing a tiebreak displaying steady composure, winning six points in a row to stun the crowd and his opponent.
Playing someone like Carlos, you play many times, you lose many times. He’s an amazing player with amazing shots, defence, attack, return, everything. So, you need to be at your best.
Daniil Medvedev
Sinner’s pursuit of the hard-court slam
While Medvedev took the headlines for toppling Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner continued a run of dominance that borders on the robotic. The World No. 2 has not dropped a single set this fortnight, utilizing his 2026 form to brush aside Alexander Zverev in just over 80 minutes.
Should Sinner win on Sunday, he will achieve a feat unprecedented in the modern era: winning every active hard-court Masters 1000 title (Toronto, Miami, Cincinnati, Shanghai, Paris, and Indian Wells).
Target and the truth
Despite the loss, Carlos Alcaraz remained philosophical, though he admitted the pressure of being the tour's constant benchmark is beginning to take a mental toll.
What I’m just getting tired a little bit is to get that target on my back all the time. I have never seen Daniil playing like this. He didn’t even miss... if they want to beat me, they have to play at their best level one hour and a half, two hours in every match.
Carlos Alcaraz
Meanwhile, Medvedev offered a surprisingly humble assessment of the current ATP landscape, suggesting that despite his win, the "Alcaraz-Sinner" era is fundamentally different from what came before.
Jannik and Carlos are far better than all of us. Only one match we can beat them... they are so good. Djokovic, Nadal, and Jannik and Carlos are probably also better than all the ones that were there before. They would struggle against them.
Daniil Medvedev
Heading Into the Final
Record: Medvedev ruins Alcaraz's bid to become the first man since 2016 (Djokovic) to win three straight Indian Wells titles.
Hard-court king: Sinner is looking for his 6th different hard-court Masters 1000 trophy.
Ranking watch: Medvedev remains World No. 11 but is charging back toward the Top 5 after a difficult 2025.
Matchup: Medvedev vs. Sinner has become the defining rivalry of the 2025-2026 hard-court seasons.
