Daniil Medvedev stunned Carlos Alcaraz in semifinals but then lost the Indian Wells final to Jannik Sinner, playing at a great level against the Italian, who only beat him in two very tight tie-breaks. The Spaniard and World No. 1 said that he was surprised by how aggressive Medvedvev played. "I have never seen, to be honest, Daniil playing like this".
Jannik Sinner was equally supportive of his rival in his post-match interview, and said that "tennis needs him". "I feel like he's playing great, great tennis", said Sinner. "We don't have to forget he's a Grand Slam champion and that's for a reason. He played great tennis, serving very well, and I struggled to return, especially on the second serve return (via Tennis365).
"I do believe that tennis needs him. He's a very unique style of playing. Seeing him back at this level, it's great. He's improving a lot. Very aggressive player at the end. He has two different game styles when he serves and when he returns. So you have to face that. It's great for the sport having him again playing this level."
Thanks to his runner-up position, Medvedev returned to the top 10. The 30-year-old Russian player, who lives in Monte-Carlo, was World No. 1 in 2022, shortly after wining US Open 2021, and has been runner-up three times at the Australian Open, as well as the 2020 ATP Finals. In 2026, he has already won the Brisbane (ATP 250) and Dubai (ATP 500) titles, and Indian Wells was his first Masters 1,000 final since 2024. Will he become a major menace for Alcaraz and Sinner in 2026?
Further reading: How does the ATP ranking change after Indian Wells 2026 for Sinner, Alcaraz, Draper, Medvedev...