Carlos Alcaraz’s blazing start to the 2026 season crashed to a halt at the Indian Wells when Daniil Medvedev stormed past him 6-3, 7-6(3). The upset snapped the world No. 1’s 16-match winning streak and delivered his first defeat of the year in the Masters 1000 semifinal. And after the 97-minute battle, Alcaraz bluntly admitted just how brutal Medvedev’s level felt on the court.

“First of all, I just have to give credit to Daniil. I think he just played an amazing match. Since the start of the match until the end of the match, you know, the match he was playing unreal, I gotta say. I have never seen, to be honest, playing Daniil like this,” Alcaraz said of the Russian. “He deserves completely the win today. He deserves completely to get through and playing a final here. All I can say is just congratulations to him.”

Alcaraz also reflected on his own performance during the match. He admitted that a few mistakes early in the contest put him under pressure.

“From my side, I just played a few games mostly in the first set that I just let go my serve game, and part of that, I just running all the time against him. So it was tough for me, but, you know, just proud to see that I just fought until the last ball,” he added.

The defeat was not only about Alcaraz’s struggles. It also highlighted the impressive form Medvedev has found in recent weeks.

The former World No. 1 entered the match on an incredible streak of 16 consecutive sets won, a run that began during his title campaign in Dubai.

Under the hot desert sun, Medvedev controlled the rallies from the baseline. His consistency forced Alcaraz to chase almost every ball and expend huge energy on each point.

Medvedev made the first move in the opening set. He broke serve to take a 3-1 lead, which turned out to be the only break needed to secure the first set. The second set was far tighter. Alcaraz managed to break early and lead 3-1, but Medvedev responded quickly and broke straight back to stay in the contest.

The Spaniard had a real chance to push the match to a deciding set. At 4-5 on Medvedev’s serve, Alcaraz created two set points but could not convert either opportunity.

Medvedev saved the first with a powerful inside-out forehand. He then erased the second with a service winner before the set eventually moved into a tie-break. From there, the Russian seized full control. Medvedev won six straight points in the tie-break and later sealed the victory with a huge ace down the middle.

Even in defeat, Alcaraz tried to look at the bigger picture.

“I’m just a little bit disappointed right now. But at the same time, I have to see the good things about this loss,” Alcaraz said. “It is about the people and the players thinking that they need to play like this level if they want to beat me. So at some point it’s going to [go in] my favour in some ways.”

With the win, Medvedev moves into the Indian Wells final. The Russian now prepares for a major championship clash against Jannik Sinner as he aims to cap off his remarkable run in the California desert.

Daniil Medvedev reacts after ending Carlos Alcaraz’s perfect 2026 start

Daniil Medvedev showed calm and control at key moments to secure a straight-sets victory over Carlos Alcaraz at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. The win carried extra meaning for the Russian, as it served as revenge after Alcaraz defeated him in the Indian Wells finals of 2023 and 2024.

Right after the match, Medvedev admitted that facing Alcaraz is always a difficult challenge. 

“Playing someone like Carlos, you play many times, you lose many times,” Medvedev said. “He’s an amazing player with amazing shots, defence, attack, return, everything. So, you need to be at your best.”

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The victory pushed Medvedev into his first ATP Masters 1000 final since reaching the Indian Wells championship match in 2024. His consistent form throughout the week has been one of the biggest storylines of the tournament.

This will be Medvedev’s third final of the 2026 season. He has already lifted two trophies this year after winning the ATP 250 event in Brisbane and the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai.

Now he prepares for a major title clash against Jannik Sinner. The Italian currently leads their head-to-head rivalry 8–7.

Sunday’s championship match will also mark their first meeting since 2024. Both players have been dominant during the tournament and have not dropped a single set in the California desert.

Medvedev believes his chances will depend on maintaining the same level he has shown throughout the week. 

With an exciting final set for Sunday, who do you think will lift the Indian Wells trophy this year? Share your winner prediction below!