Carlos Alcaraz slides to shock defeat and it could affect his world No 1 ranking

Carlos Alcaraz’s remarkable unbeaten run in 2026 came to a comprehensive win as he was beaten 6-3, 7-6(3) by Daniil Medvedev in a high-quality Indian Wells semi-final.

Medvedev’s revival has been one of the stories bubbling under the surface in the men’s game over the last few weeks, but now his return to the top table of the game has been confirmed with a big win against Alcaraz.

The Russian’s flat hitting and impressive length on his ground shots knocked Alcaraz off balance and when the Spaniard threatened a revival in the second set, Medvedev maintained his level of consistency to get over the winning line as he played a great tie-break.

Alcaraz smiled and waved to the crowd as he left the court and told Medvedev it was a ‘great match’ as the duo exchanged pleasantries at the net after the match.

This win ensured former world No 1 Medvedev has reached an ATP Masters 1000 final without conceding a set for the third time in his career after Montreal and Shanghai in 2019.

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“The first set was a super high level from me,” Medvedev told Sky Sports.

“In the second set, he was the better player, but I managed to stay in there and managed to play well in the big points and I’m super happy to come through.

“I feel like I managed to find a bit of rhythm on my serve that was bothering him a little bit and that gave me confidence to understand he was struggling a bit on return of serve. It feels great to come through.”

Medvedev’s revival comes after he opted to change his coaching team following a slump in form in 2025, with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke having a hugely positive impact since they joined his camp.

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“They say you need to change your coach every few years and it is working,” said Medvedev.

“It’s just different. At this time of last year when I decided to do it, I needed something different, and it’s been working great.

“Thomas is a great coach. Rohan, as well. I needed something new and this was it.”

This win fired Medvedev back into the top 10 of the ATP Rankings and while this defeat will not have a negative effect on his ranking as he matches his run to the semi-finals at Indian Wells a year ago, the defeat does open the door for Jannik Sinner to trim his lead at the top of the ATP Rankings in Sunday’s final against Medvedev.

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