Daniil Medvedev has ended Carlos Alcaraz’s perfect start to the year, stunning the world No. 1 in the semifinals of Indian Wells, 6-3, 7-6 (3).
It was Medvedev’s first win over Alcaraz since the US Open in 2023, having lost their last four meetings in a row, and his first win over any No. 1 since he beat then-No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon in 2024.
He’ll now take on Sinner, who’s currently ranked No. 2 behind Alcaraz, for the Indian Wells title on Sunday, after the Italian rolled past Alexander Zverev in the first semifinal of the day, 6-2, 6-4.
Not only had Alcaraz beaten Medvedev four times in a row, but he had only lost one set in all of those meetings combined, barely, during a 6-7 (1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win in the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2024.
But Medvedev had beaten Alcaraz twice before, and he got off to a strong start in this one, breaking for 3-1—which would turn out to be the only break in the first set—en route to winning the opening frame.
Alcaraz had all kinds of chances in the second set, not only breaking early for his own 3-1 lead, after which Medvedev broke right back, but even bringing up two set points in Medvedev’s 4-5 service game.
But Medvedev fought off the first one with a big inside-out forehand that Alcaraz couldn’t get back in the court, then swatted the second one away with a service winner, and after a few more holds the two headed to a tie-break, where—after losing the first point—Medvedev won six points in a row to build a 6-1 lead, and quintuple match point.
Alcaraz saved two match points on his own serve but Medvedev rifled a huge ace up the middle on his third match point to close it out.
“Honestly, it’s a great feeling,” Medvedev said after the match.
“Someone like Carlos, you play many times, you lose many times. He’s an amazing player with amazing shots, defense, attack, serve, return, everything—so you need to be at your best. And I was. I was serving great, I saved one or two set points, one or two break points the game before, so I was hanging in in the second set as I could, but playing great tennis, and super happy to beat someone strong as him.”
Medvedev will try to snap another streak in the final against Sinner, who’s won their last three meetings, and eight of their last nine.
“Whenever you play a tournament where both are playing, there’s a big chance that if you want to win the tournament, you need to beat both, and it’s okay, that’s how tennis is right now,” Medvedev said.
“If I maintain the level I had throughout the whole tournament, and maybe even raise it, I’ll have my chances, so that’s what I’ll try to do.”
Whatever happens on Sunday, Medvedev is projected to return to the Top 10 of the ATP rankings on Monday, rising from No. 11 to either No. 10 as the runner-up or one higher to No. 9 as the champion.
It’ll be the 280th week of his career in the Top 10, and his first time in the elite since the two weeks of Roland Garros last year.
He spent 16 weeks as world No. 1 in 2022.