Carlos Alcaraz’s Unbeaten Streak Ends After Defeat to Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev is chasing his first Indian Wells title and will face fellow former World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the final.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Unbeaten Streak Ends After Defeat to Daniil Medvedev

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz, ESPN)

In Short
  • Carlos Alcaraz's 16-match winning streak ended with a semifinal loss to Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells.
  • Medvedev improved his head-to-head record against Alcaraz to 6-3 after winning 6-3, 7-6(3).
  • Jannik Sinner will face Medvedev in the final, aiming for his first Sunshine Doubles title without dropping a set.

Carlos Alcaraz was on a 16-match winning streak before he walked onto Court 1 to face Daniil Medvedev, whose 2026 season has been a far cry from that of his 2025 season. Both players have won two titles this year, and both played the Indian Wells final twice before this year.

It was the 2021 US Open champion whom Alcaraz beat in the finals in 2023 and 2024 in the California desert. But Medvedev took his revenge with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win in the semifinals this time, improving his head-to-head record to 3-6.

Medvedev entered Indian Wells after escaping the Dubai ordeal, as he and several other tennis players were stuck in the Middle East due to America’s and Israel’s war with Iran. He left for Los Angeles from Istanbul along with Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev.

And while his compatriots suffered opening-round exits, an in-form Medvedev knocked out defending champion Jack Draper in a dramatic quarterfinal before upsetting Alcaraz. The 30-year-old won the Dubai ATP 500 title after Tallon Griekspoor handed him the walkover, which also marked the first time Medvedev won a title twice in the same city. Before Dubai, he lifted the Brisbane International against Brandon Nakashima.

Alcaraz, on the other hand, added the Australian Open and the Qatar Open to his trophy cabinet before arriving in Indian Wells. At the press conference after his exit, the Murcia native said he did not regret saying goodbye to his unbeaten streak.

I said it when I played against [Arthur] Rinderknech…what tires me out is having that burden on my back all the time, being the target. I had never seen Daniil play like that before, but I have to accept it and move on. What I had to do is understand what needed to change to win the match, now it’s about preparing better for the next match with my team. I’m not thinking about whether I need to win or lose, it’s just about pursuing my goals, achieving the target set before each tournament. That’s my mentality, so I’m not tired of people expecting me to win every match.

The record for most unbeaten streak at the start of the year belongs to Novak Djokovic (41), whom Alcaraz defeated in the Australian Open final. Later at the Qatar Open, he dismantled Arthur Fils.

Daniil Medvedev set to lock horns with Jannik Sinner

To win his seventh Masters 1000 title, Medvedev has to overcome another tough opponent in the form of Jannik Sinner, who breezed past Alexander Zverev and clinched his sixth consecutive win over the German. Medvedev trails 7-8 in the head-to-head matchups against the World No.2 but has lost their last three matches.

Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev
Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Tiempo De Tenis)

He’s playing at a truly high level again. He’s serving with a lot of power, returning great, playing very deep. I think he’s looking to be more aggressive, applying more pressure with his shots. I have the feeling he has found a good on-court balance again, as shown by winning the title in Dubai and performing so well here.

Jannik Sinner said at the press conference

Sinner has also never tasted success in the first Sunshine Doubles event, losing twice in the semifinal stage. Before knocking out Zverev, Sinner moved past the two rising stars, Joao Fonseca and Learner Tien.

Because Sinner has yet to drop a set, another straight-set win will make him the first man in history to clinch two back-to-back Masters 1000 titles without dropping a set. Sinner had added the Paris Masters to his trophy cabinet by defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime. He is chasing his first title of the season, as he lost to Djokovic in Melbourne and to Jakub Mensik in Doha.

Also read: Aryna Sabalenka Admits Being ‘Fed Up Of Losing Finals’ Recently Ahead of Indian Wells Title Match