Italy’s Jannik Sinner has etched his name alongside two of tennis’s biggest legends after defeating Daniil Medvedev to win the Indian Wells Masters title in a gripping final under the California desert sun.
The 24-year-old battled through two tense tie-break sets to claim a 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-4) victory on Sunday, securing his first title at the prestigious tournament and completing a remarkable milestone in the process.
With the win, Sinner became just the third player in history to claim all six ATP Masters 1000 titles played on hard courts, joining modern greats Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
It was far from straightforward against Medvedev, who arrived in top form after eliminating world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. But Sinner’s composure and shot-making proved decisive, as he finished the match with 28 winners, 10 aces and a flawless eight-from-eight success rate at the net.
“It was a very, very tough match,” Sinner said afterwards. “It’s great to see Daniil back playing this level.”
The victory also capped an extraordinary run for the Italian star. It was his first title of the year and extended his winning streak at Masters 1000 level to 11 matches, stretching back to his triumph at the Paris Masters last November.
Even more impressively, Sinner became the first player since 1990 to win consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments without dropping a set.
The final itself was a high-quality contest from start to finish.
Medvedev applied heavy pressure early, pushing Sinner hard in a tightly contested opening set that saw both players hold serve in a series of powerful baseline exchanges. The Russian edged ahead 6-5 before Sinner held firm to force a tie-break.
With little separating the pair, Sinner showed his trademark calm in the crucial moments. A costly forehand volley error from Medvedev at 5-4 gave the Italian the opening he needed, and he sealed the set on his second set point.
The second set followed a similar script.
Sinner briefly gained the upper hand when he broke to lead 3-2, but Medvedev refused to fade. The Russian stayed within touching distance before the set once again headed to a tie-break.
At first it looked as though Medvedev might force a deciding third set, racing to a 4-0 lead in the breaker. But Sinner responded with remarkable composure, reeling off a run of points to level the score at 4-4 before closing out the match 7-4.
“I kept believing and kept pushing,” Sinner said. “I went for my shots a little more. A third set, we would have started even, so I tried my best to close it out and I’m very happy. It was an incredible ending.”
Sinner also used the moment to celebrate another Italian sporting success, congratulating teenage Formula One star Kimi Antonelli after his victory at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier the same day.
“It hasn’t anything to do with tennis, but it has been a special day for Italy,” Sinner said. “I’m a huge Formula One fan, and having a very young Italian bringing Italy back to the top is amazing.”
For Medvedev, the defeat was another near miss at Indian Wells, marking his third loss in the tournament’s final.
For Sinner, however, it was another statement victory — and further proof that the Italian star is now firmly among the dominant forces in world tennis.