Daniil Medvedev ends Carlos Alcaraz's perfect start to 2026 to reach Indian Wells final

Match Report

Medvedev ends Alcaraz's perfect start to 2026 to reach Indian Wells final

Alcaraz was on a 16-match winning streak

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Daniil Medvedev shakes hands with Carlos Alcaraz after beating the World No. 1 in straight sets Saturday in the Indian Wells semi-finals. By ATP Staff

Carlos Alcaraz's perfect start to the 2026 season has come to an end.

Daniil Medvedev shocked the Spaniard 6-3, 7-6(3) at the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday to snap the World No. 1's 16-match winning streak and hand the 22-year-old his first loss of the season in the semi-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

"Playing someone like Carlos, you play many times, you lose many times," Medvedev said. "He's an amazing player with amazing shots, defence, attack, return, everything. So, you need to be at your best."

Medvedev controlled the clash with aggressive shotmaking and showed the tennis with which he once reached World No. 1. In the second set, down an early break and later facing two set points at 4-5, Medvedev served with authority and forced errors from Alcaraz on both points, denying him any chance of a comeback. Medvedev won four of the five break points he faced overall, and converted both chances he created, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He also won 74 per cent (23/31) of his second-serve points.

The 30-year-old’s composure under pressure proved decisive, allowing him to close out the straight-sets victory in one hour and 37 minutes and claim revenge against the Spaniard, who had beaten him in the Indian Wells final in 2023 and 2024.

"I was hanging in, in the second set, as I could," Medvedev said. "But [I am] playing great tennis, super happy to beat someone as strong as him."

With the victory, Medvedev advanced to his first Masters 1000 final since reaching the Indian Wells title match in 2024. The former World No. 1 will meet Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s championship match, with the Italian holding an 8-7 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

With his win over Alcaraz, Medvedev earned a Tour-leading 18th win of the season. Through to his third championship match of the season, Medvedev will now aim to maintain his perfect record in 2026 finals after having triumphed at the ATP 250 event in Brisbane and the ATP 500 event in Dubai.

Sunday's final will mark the first meeting between Sinner and Medvedev since the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals. Both players are yet to drop a set this fortnight in the California desert. Medvedev has now won 18 sets in a row, a streak that began at the start of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

"If I manage to maintain the level I had throughout the tournament and maybe even raise it, I will have my chances," he said.

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