6 min readMar 16, 2026 07:41 PM IST
A renaissance in the sultry heat of the Californian desert was put to bed by the cold ruthlessness of Jannik Sinner in Indian Wells on Sunday. The World No. 2 was himself going through a streaky start to the year before putting together the perfect tournament – winning six matches without dropping a set – to win the Indian Wells Masters, complete with a 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) victory in the final. That result only took the shine off, and did not take the significance away from the 2026 resurgence of Daniil Medvedev.
The big results of the year so far only reinforce the fears harboured at the start of the season; of the establishment of a new duopoly in men’s tennis that had gone unchallenged recently. Carlos Alcaraz was peerless in Melbourne to lift the Australian Open and become the youngest-player to complete the Grand Slam. His rival, Sinner, dusted himself off to rout the competition and win at Indian Wells. But the tennis that took place in between has painted a different picture, and shone through all of last week.
Novak Djokovic made a statement of his own at his favourite tournament, outlasting Sinner to reach the final in Melbourne. At Indian Wells, defending champion Jack Draper would prove that, when fit, he is as dangerous as a top five player should be, sidestepping the Serb. Then there was Medvedev, who not only in typical fashion, rode a streaky match against an antagonistic crowd to hammer Draper – but also got the better of Alcaraz, fatigue and the relentless spotlight catching up with the off-colour Spaniard.
Jannik Sinner, of Italy, right, is congratulated by Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, after Sinner defeated Medvedev during a final match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Djokovic’s performance in Melbourne and Medvedev’s resurgence in America has added the secret spice to light the competitive fire for a tour that had become increasingly one-dimensional, reliant on one rivalry. For the 30-year-old Russian, it takes on greater importance considering where his tennis and mental state were six months ago.
On the court where he was crowned the first 90s kid to become a Grand Slam winner, Medvedev’s sensational meltdown at the US Open – in the aftermath of a third consecutive first-round loss at a Major – had prompted all sorts of speculation. He was clearly mentally fatigued and technically challenged by a rising new generation. A relentless defender and a volatile personality, in the age of all-out attacking youngsters that are composed under pressure, seemed to have rapidly become yesterday’s man.
But soul-searching and an extended break from the spotlight have done wonders. The mercurial Russian, famed for his resilience, is at his best on a hard court. And a fresh start to the season, a new coaching team around him, shedding of old expectations, and weaknesses in his rivals have all combined to see him return to his best.
He started the year with a title in Brisbane, and while the Australian Open may have come a tad early for him, by the spring, he was firing. His reputation suggests he is at his best when things go against him. Misfortune certainly seemed to conspire against him after his excellent title-winning in Dubai was followed by an extended period of uncertainty over whether he would be able to fly to Indian Wells in time, after war in the Gulf broke out.
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He did make it, and there were no signs of fatigue. Against Draper, he was both consistent and frustrating, crucially even overcoming the break in his rhythm after the night crowd and his opponent both got a bit raucous in the aftermath of a controversial hindrance call.
Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, returns a shot against Jannik Sinner, of Italy, during a final match at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 15, 2026, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Against Alcaraz, he overcame a previous grouse. Once Medvedev’s defence-first tactics became outdated at some point in the last three years, it became evident that his baseline skill-set would not be able to cut it against the aggressors that now rule the roost. At Indian Wells, he course-corrected. The consistent bounce of the medium-paced hard courts made the ball come nicely into his strike zone, from where he found significantly more mileage on his groundstrokes – especially on the forehand side – to go toe-to-toe with the Spaniard and overcome him in straight sets.
If the canny new tactics and solid form underlined the fact that Medvedev’s game is back to where it was a couple of years ago, that fact also reared its ugly head in the final. For all of Medvedev’s consistency, the inability to come out victorious in big finals has always been a weakness. Sinner was simply too good for him on Sunday, first pummelling his first serves with accuracy and then coming up clutch in the two tiebreakers, even overturning a four-point deficit to win seven points in a row in the second one.
Medvedev is back, but a few steps remain before he is back better. Either way, tennis is better for it.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
