Daniil Medvedev Halts Carlos Alcaraz’s Winning Streak to Reach Indian Wells Open Final

Daniil Medvedev ended Carlos Alcaraz’s flawless start to the 2026 season with a commanding straight-sets victory in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Open on Saturday.

The Russian defeated the world number one 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to reach the title clash, bringing an end to Alcaraz’s 16-match unbeaten run this year and denying the Spaniard a shot at a third consecutive title in the Californian desert.

Medvedev will now face Jannik Sinner in the final after producing one of his most composed performances of the season. Speaking after the match, the former world number one said he was delighted to overcome one of the toughest opponents on the tour.

“Playing someone like Carlos, you play many times… you lose many times. He’s an amazing player. You need to be at your best and I was. Super happy to beat someone as strong as him,” Medvedev said.

The Russian acknowledged the challenge of facing the reigning world number one and stressed that only a near-perfect display could secure victory. “He’s an amazing player with amazing shots — defence, attack, serve, return, everything. So you need to be at your best — and I was,” he added.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, praised Medvedev’s performance and admitted the Russian deserved the win.

“I just have to give credit to Daniil. I think he just played an amazing match,” Alcaraz said at the post-match press conference. “Since the start of the match until the end, he was playing unreal. I have never seen, to be honest, Daniil playing like this. He completely deserved the win today and to be playing the final here.”

The Spaniard also spoke about the pressure that comes with being world number one and the constant challenge of being the player everyone wants to beat.

“I said when I played against Rinderknech that what I’m getting a little tired of is having that target on my back all the time,” Alcaraz said. “But I have to accept it and keep going.”

How Medvedev beat Alcaraz

Medvedev relied on relentless baseline control and strong serving to dictate the tempo of the match. The Russian secured an early break in the opening set and held firm to close it out 6-3.

The second set proved far more competitive as Alcaraz raised his intensity, breaking early to take a 3-1 lead. Medvedev responded immediately, capitalising on a few unforced errors from the Spaniard to level the set.

Long rallies became a defining feature of the contest, with Medvedev’s consistency from the baseline forcing Alcaraz into repeated defensive scrambles. One particularly gruelling rally late in the set left the Spaniard visibly fatigued.

Although Alcaraz held serve in that game and later earned two set points, Medvedev stayed composed to push the match into a tie-break. The Russian then seized control, winning six consecutive points before sealing the victory with an ace.

The result extended Medvedev’s winning streak to nine matches, following his title triumph at the Dubai Tennis Championships last month. It also marked his third appearance in the Indian Wells final, having finished runner-up in both 2023 and 2024 — losing to Alcaraz on both occasions.

Medvedev to face Sinner in the final

Medvedev will now meet Sinner in the championship match after the Italian produced an impressive semi-final performance against Alexander Zverev.

Sinner defeated the fourth seed 6-2, 6-4, firing eight aces while committing just 13 unforced errors. The world number two controlled the contest with sharp returning and confident net play, winning seven of his eight points at the net.

Zverev offered early resistance, but Sinner broke twice in the opening set to seize control before securing a decisive break at 4-3 in the second set to close out the match. The 24-year-old has not dropped a set throughout the tournament and will now look to cap his dominant run with the Indian Wells title.