Medvedev Ends Alcaraz’s Win Streak, Advances to Indian Wells Final
Daniil Medvedev delivered a stunning upset on Saturday, defeating top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 7-6(3) at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. The victory snapped Alcaraz’s impressive 16-match winning streak to start the season and sets up a final showdown with Jannik Sinner.
Alcaraz, who had previously claimed titles at the Australian Open and Qatar Open this year, appeared fatigued against Medvedev’s aggressive play. The Spaniard joked earlier in the week about feeling like he was constantly facing Roger Federer, acknowledging the pressure of being the world’s top-ranked player.
“It’s an amazing feeling to beat someone like Carlos, No. 1 in the world,” Medvedev said after the match. “In a way, when you play him, Jannik, Novak, doesn’t matter the ranking. It’s just a great feeling to play them. And to beat them, of course, is even better.”
This marks Medvedev’s first win against Alcaraz since their thrilling semifinal clash at the 2023 U.S. Open. He had lost to Alcaraz in back-to-back BNP Paribas Open finals in 2023 and 2024.
The win propels Medvedev into his first ATP Masters 1000 final in two years, where he will face Jannik Sinner, who earlier defeated Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4. Sinner’s dominant performance saw him notch six aces against the fourth-seeded Zverev and secure the first set with breaks in the fifth and seventh games.
In women’s doubles action, Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova emerged victorious, defeating Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (4), 6-4. This win represents Townsend’s first Indian Wells title and Siniakova’s second, following her 2023 triumph alongside Barbora Krejcikova.
The tournament’s semifinal matches took place on Saturday, March 14, 2026, with the final between Medvedev and Sinner scheduled for Sunday. The ATP Tour previewed the highly anticipated clash between Alcaraz and Medvedev, highlighting their impressive form leading up to the match.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Medvedev handed Alcaraz his first loss of the year, advancing to the final.
According to The New York Times, Alcaraz admitted he hadn’t seen Medvedev play at such a high level before.
