Jannik Sinner capped a dominant run at the Indian Wells Masters by defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in a gripping final to lift his first title in the California desert on Sunday. The Italian world No. 2 produced a stunning comeback in the second-set tiebreak, winning seven consecutive points from a 0-4 deficit to seal the championship without dropping a set all tournament.
The victory continued Sinner’s recent dominance over Medvedev, marking his ninth win in their last 10 meetings. Medvedev had earlier stunned top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, handing the Spaniard his first defeat of the season at the BNP Paribas Open.
After the win, Sinner also celebrated a big day for Italian sport, congratulating rising Formula One star Kimi Antonelli on his Chinese Grand Prix triumph. “It’s been a special day for Italy,” Sinner said. “I’m a huge Formula One fan and seeing such a young Italian win is amazing.”
Earlier, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka clinched her maiden Indian Wells women’s title with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) victory over Elena Rybakina in sweltering desert conditions.
Sabalenka showed remarkable resilience in a tense decider. After being broken while serving for the match at 5-4, the Belarusian recovered in the tiebreak despite Rybakina holding a championship point. Sabalenka responded with a stunning backhand winner before sealing the title with a powerful serve that Rybakina sent long.
“I wanted to stay mentally strong no matter what,” Sabalenka said. “I tried to show through my body language that I’m here to fight.”
The victory gave Sabalenka a 9-7 edge in her head-to-head rivalry with Rybakina. It also capped a memorable stretch for the 27-year-old, who recently celebrated a personal milestone with her engagement to Brazilian businessman Georgios Frangulis.
Sabalenka, the defending champion at the upcoming Miami Open, said celebrations would be brief as she heads to Florida aiming to carry her winning momentum into the next major stop on the tour.
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