Carlos Alcaraz suffered a stunning upset in the semifinals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells on Saturday, ending his 16-match winning streak to start the 2026 season. The world number one was defeated by Daniil Medvedev, who had been on an eight-match win streak of his own. The clash guaranteed that one of the players’ impressive runs would come to an complete. Medvedev emerged victorious with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win.
Alcaraz, the top seed, struggled to break down Medvedev’s defense from the outset, as the Russian extended rallies and effectively countered the Spaniard’s attacks. The two-time BNP Paribas Open champion also committed a number of unforced errors, dropping serve in the fourth game and ultimately losing the first set.
In the second set, Alcaraz adjusted his strategy, frequently attacking the net. This proved effective initially, earning him a break to lead 3-1, but he quickly relinquished the advantage. Later, serving at 5-5, the 22-year-old from Murcia earned two set points, only to see Medvedev raise his level. The Russian responded with a clutch forehand winner and then saved the second set point with a strong serve.
The set ultimately went to a tiebreak, where the pressure mounted on Alcaraz. After a missed forehand and a failed drop shot, the Spaniard gifted Medvedev two mini-breaks, giving the Russian a commanding 4-1 lead. Medvedev then extended his advantage to 6-1, earning five match points.
Alcaraz saved the first two match points with powerful serves, but Medvedev closed out the match on his third opportunity with an ace. The victory avenged losses to Alcaraz in the finals of the BNP Paribas Open in 2023 and 2024.
The match lasted 97 minutes. Medvedev fired four aces, faced one break point, converted two of his own, hit 15 winners, and committed 22 unforced errors. Alcaraz recorded two aces, 24 winners, and 30 unforced errors.
This marked Medvedev’s third win against Alcaraz in their ninth career meeting. With the win on Saturday, the 30-year-old from Moscow advanced to his 43rd career final, including his ninth Masters 1000 final, and will compete for his 24th title, and seventh at the “1000” level.
Medvedev will face second-seeded Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final. He holds a 7-8 career record against the Italian, but has lost eight of their last nine encounters.
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BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells (USA)
ATP Masters 1000, hard court, $9,415,000 prize pool
Saturday, March 14
semifinal singles:
Daniil Medvedev (11) – Carlos Alcaraz (Spain, 1) 6:3, 7:6(3)
