Jannik Sinner claimed his first Indian Wells title on Sunday, rallying from 0-4 down in the second set tiebreak to beat Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 7-6 in a contest that never produced a single break of serve.
The Italian world number two was pushed all the way by a Medvedev in fine form, the Russian arriving in the final on the back of a nine-match winning streak that included a stunning semi-final victory over Carlos Alcaraz, which brought the top-ranked Spaniard’s 16-match unbeaten run to an abrupt end. On this occasion, however, Medvedev could not find a way past Sinner, who was simply too composed and too clinical when it mattered most.
The opening set was tight throughout, with neither player able to force a break. Medvedev held a 5-4 lead in the tiebreak before allowing a ball to land in that he had let go, and though he saved one set point, Sinner produced a blistering forehand to create another before sealing the set with a thundering serve.
The second set followed a similar pattern, and it appeared Medvedev might level things up when he raced into a 4-0 lead in the tiebreak. But Sinner, to his enormous credit, refused to yield. He reeled off point after point to close out the match and with it, a place in the history books, becoming only the third player alongside Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to win all six of the ATP’s hardcourt Masters 1000 tournaments.
“I kept believing and kept pushing,” Sinner said afterwards. “It was an incredible ending.”
Medvedev, for his part, can take considerable heart from the week. After a difficult 2025 campaign, the former world number one showed he is very much back to his best and will return to the top ten in the rankings on Monday. Both players now turn their attention to Miami, where the hard court season continues.
