Jannik Sinner edges Daniil Medvedev in tense final to claim maiden Indian Wells crown

With Medvedev producing the same level of tennis that saw him overpower World No 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals, Sinner was pushed onto the ropes for long spells in a contest decided by the finest of margins.

A crucial moment came when Medvedev opted not to volley a drifting ball that ultimately landed in, allowing Sinner to seize the initiative and win the tie-break a couple of points later.

The World No 2 was then pushed all the way by his Russian rival in the second set, which was again decided by a dramatic tie-break.

Medvedev raced into a 4-0 lead and Sinner appeared to be struggling with an arm problem after losing the last of those points with a double fault. Yet the Italian responded brilliantly, reeling off seven straight points to seize control and plot his path to victory.

It was a sensational finish from Sinner against an opponent who produced a remarkably high level of tennis throughout the match, as the Italian lifted the title at Indian Wells without dropping a set during the tournament.

The win - his first title of the season - completed Sinner's set of all six ATP Masters 1000 events played on hard courts and also boosted his hopes of catching Alcaraz in the race to become world No. 1.

Sinner missed Indian Wells in 2025 while serving a doping suspension, meaning the 1,000 ranking points he collected from this victory will be fully added to his total.

While he still has ground to make up on Alcaraz and is unlikely to overhaul him until later in 2026, the triumph confirmed he is back near his best after early defeats at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open.

Sinner collected $1,151,380 for his win in the first ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year, with Medvedev also earning a substantial prize after his impressive run.

"It was a tough tournament," Sinner told Sky Sports after the match. "In my mind I knew this was the only hardcourt tournament of the big ones that I haven't won so I'm very happy how I handled it.

"Seeing Daniil playing at this level is important for tennis. I feel like when he plays at his best he's very tough to beat as we saw today, but I'm very happy."

The Russian's wins against defending champion Jack Draper and Alcaraz confirmed he is getting back to his best and he will collect $612,340 in prize money and 650 ranking points that will ensure he is back in the top 10.

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