Sinner equals Federer and Djokovic’s hard-court record after Indian Wells win

Jannik Sinner beat Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells final on Sunday, the win makes him the youngest man to complete the set of hard-court trophies.

The world no. 2 defeated Medvedev 7–6(6), 7–6(4) in a tight final to win the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The match was extremely close, with both sets decided by tie-breaks as neither player was able to break serve.

In the first set, both players held serve throughout before Sinner edged the tie-break 8–6. The second set followed a similar pattern of powerful serving and long baseline rallies. In the tie-break, Medvedev raced into a 4–0 lead, putting himself in a strong position to force a deciding set.

The Russian’s run to the final, which included a victory over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, was perhaps even more impressive given the circumstances. The former US Open champion had almost missed the tournament after being stranded in the UAE following his win at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

However, Sinner produced a remarkable comeback and took seven consecutive points in an incredible tie-break winning 7-4 to seal the title.

The victory secured Sinner’s first Indian Wells championship and placed him alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only players to win all six ATP Masters 1000 events played on hard courts.

The reigning Wimbledon champion was dominant with his serve, winning 43 of 47 points on his first delivery, firing 10 aces, and claiming 60% of points on his second serve to keep firm control of the match.

Medvedev managed to save the only two break points he faced in the final as the Italian proved too tough of the match for the Russian.

By going through the tournament in California without dropping a set, the 24-year-old also became the first player to win back-to-back ATP Masters 1000 titles without losing a set since the series began in 1990, following his dominant run in Paris Masters last November.

Sinner’s flawless run in California, which secured him his first title of the year, has also helped him narrow the gap on world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard claimed titles at the Australian Open and the Qatar Open earlier this season, but his unbeaten start to the year came to an end when Medvedev defeated him in the semi-finals.

Speaking after the final win, Sinner said: "It was a very, very tough match, it is great to see Daniil back playing this level. I am very happy. I came here from day one, training really hard and this result makes me very happy. Sharing this moment with the team and friends here is really special."