Medvedev Ends Alcaraz's Unbeaten Streak to Face Sinner in Indian Wells Final

Daniil Medvedev halted Carlos Alcaraz's winning run in 2026, securing a spot in the BNP Paribas Open final at Indian Wells with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) victory. Medvedev maintained his composure to outlast Alcaraz, who was not at his best, particularly in the second set tiebreaker. Earlier, Jannik Sinner swiftly advanced to his maiden BNP Paribas Open final, defeating fourth seed Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4, setting up a showdown with Medvedev on Sunday. Alcaraz, serving to save the first set at 2-5, held to love with a stunning cross-court forehand, putting pressure on Medvedev, who responded determinedly to take the set 6-3. The Spaniard broke Medvedev at the start of the second set, but Medvedev immediately regained his advantage. Alcaraz fought to a 5-4 lead but failed to capitalize on two set points, and Medvedev dominated the tiebreaker. "To beat someone like Carlos, you need to be at your best," Medvedev said. "He's an incredible player with amazing shots and defense." Medvedev added, "I was hanging in during the second set, but I'm playing great tennis and happy to have beaten someone as strong as him." Tennis legend Martina Navratilova noted, "Tennis is decided by a few key statistics. Medvedev broke Alcaraz's serve more often and played the big points better, particularly on his second serve." Former British No. 1 Tim Henman praised Medvedev's performance, saying, "It's a phenomenal display from Medvedev, and it shows that it's not a foregone conclusion. He's come out and continued to play aggressively, hitting the ball hard from the back of the court." Sinner, meanwhile, produced a near-perfect display to defeat Zverev in one hour and 23 minutes, sealing his first championship-match appearance in the California desert. The Italian, who lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semis in 2023 and 2024, took an hour and 23 minutes to see off the German, converting three of six break points. "It's a great achievement, and I'm very happy to have reached the final for the first time," Sinner said. "The next match will be a tough test, but I'm extremely happy with my performance this week." Sinner closed out his 83-minute victory, having won 83% of points behind his first serve. He has now reached the final at all six hard-court Masters 1000 tournaments. Henman commented, "Zverev kind of handed Sinner the breaks in the first set. It wasn't as if Sinner played brilliant tennis to win those points." Navratilova added, "Sinner backs his shots well and attacks the return of serve effectively. He doesn't let you breathe, keeping you under pressure with his perfect technique." Sunday's final will mark the first meeting between Sinner and Medvedev since 2024, with both players yet to drop a set this fortnight. Medvedev has now won 18 sets in a row, a streak that began at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. "If I maintain my level throughout the tournament and raise it, I will have my chances," Medvedev said.