Jannik Sinner added another statement victory to his growing résumé Sunday in defeating world No. 10 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets to claim his first BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells in the Californian desert.
The 7-6(6), 7-6(4) victory capped a remarkable week for the Italian, who became the first player in over three decades to win consecutive ATP Masters 1000 tournaments without dropping a set.
The matchup itself was slightly unexpected.
Most anticipated a final clash between Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, world No.1 from Spain, but Medvedev had other plans. In their semifinal duel, the Russian produced one of his strongest performances of the season to defeat Alcaraz in straight sets, jumping out to a commanding 4-1 lead in the first set and never looking back.
The final featured another chapter in the increasingly one sided Sinner-Medvedev rivalry.
Entering Sunday’s final, Sinner had won seven of the last eight meetings between the two players. Still, Medvedev’s form throughout the tournament suggested the Russian would be a serious challenge.
The final delivered exactly that.
Both sets unfolded as tense, high level battles with neither player able to generate sustained separation. Neither player stole a break of serve for the entire match. Sinner’s relentless baseline consistency and effortless shotmaking clashed with Medvedev’s defensive brilliance, producing long rallies and razor thin margins throughout the match that decided crucial points.
The first set reached a tiebreak as Sinner held his composure amid scorching desert heat. Both players knew the magnitude of this set, and how tall of a mountain the rest of the match would be for the loser of the tiebreak. It was the Italian who edged the set to jump out to a 1-0 lead and place himself within striking distance of the title.
The second set tiebreak appeared to drift dramatically toward Medvedev.
The Russian stormed out to a 4-0 lead, putting himself up two mini-breaks and three points away from forcing a deciding set. As the pressure mounted, Sinner briefly looked toward his player box, where his team remained calm and clapped to encourage him.
What followed was classic Jannik Sinner.
The Italian rattled off seven consecutive points, flipping the momentum of the match in a matter of minutes. Each point grew louder inside the stadium as the tiebreak comeback unfolded until Sinner finally sealed the victory, pointing towards the Nike logo on his shirt as he walked to greet Medvedev at the net.
With this win, Sinner claimed his first Indian Wells title and continued a historic stretch of tennis that has firmly established him amongst the sport’s greatest.
Sitting at world No. 2 and 11,400 points, he is about 2,000 points behind Alcaraz’s 13,550. The upcoming Miami open provides another opportunity for Sinner to close this gap with an ATP Masters 1000 win.
Click here for Eight30’s longer report on the Indian Wells Open.
