Daniil Medvedev defeated World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 7-6(3) on Saturday in the Indian Wells semi-final, abruptly halting the Spaniard’s 34-match outdoor hard-court winning streak. The straight-sets victory propels Medvedev into the championship match against World No. 2 Jannik Sinner.
Medvedev dominated the first set utilizing an aggressive baseline strategy, dictating the pace and keeping Alcaraz from establishing his typical rhythm. The second set tightened into a highly contested tiebreak, where Medvedev secured a 7-3 advantage to officially close out the match and snap Alcaraz’s flawless 16-0 start to the 2026 season.
The result serves as significant redemption for Medvedev, who suffered straight-set defeats to Alcaraz in both the 2023 and 2024 Indian Wells finals. Overcoming the World No. 1’s momentum proved that success requires discomfort, as Medvedev absorbed heavy baseline rallies before executing his decisive tiebreak performance.
Alcaraz entered the semi-final having recently surpassed Novak Djokovic’s 2010–2011 record of 33 consecutive outdoor hard-court victories. Medvedev, who has already captured titles in Brisbane and Dubai this year, will now prepare to face Sinner for the Indian Wells trophy.