Jannik Sinner showed off his hard-court excellence under the California desert sun by defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-4) to win his first Indian Wells title.
The four-time Grand Slam champion had a somewhat underwhelming start to the season by stratospheric standards, but had an unparalleled performance in the California desert, not dropping a set through two weeks.
When the former US Open champion took a 4-0 lead in the second set tie-break, it looked like a tense and high-quality matchup against the resurgent Medvedev was headed for a showdown, but Sinner reeled off seven consecutive points to seal the victory.
The Italian was dominating from start to finish, finishing with 28 winners, 10 service aces and a perfect 8 out of 8 net points.
His first title at the BNP Paribas Open means that Sinner has won all six of the biggest titles on hard courts, having won all six tournaments: the Australian Open, US Open, ATP Finals and Masters 1000, making him the third player in history to win all six ATP Masters 1000 hard court titles, after Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Additionally, with his first title of the year, he became the first player since 1990 to win back-to-back Masters 1000 titles without dropping a set.
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Sinner paid tribute to his compatriot Kimi Antonelli, who won the Chinese Grand Prix, and revealed that he missed the race due to discipline reasons.
The 24-year-old told Sky Sports Tennis: “It was a tough tournament. In my heart, I knew this was the only hard court tournament in a big tournament where I didn’t win, so I’m very happy with how I responded.”
“It’s important for tennis to see Daniil play at this level. When he’s playing his best, as we saw today, I think he’s very difficult to beat, but I’m very happy.”
Sinner also congratulated 19-year-old Italian F1 driver Kimi Antonelli on winning the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, saying: “It’s a special day for Italy because I’m a big F1 fan.
“It’s great that you, a very young Italian, have brought Italy back to the top. Thank you, Kimi.”
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Kimi Antonelli wins the Chinese Grand Prix, marking his debut victory with Mercedes
Medvedev was looking to join Novak Djokovic by defeating Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner in the same tournament, but he brought the same aggressive, precise tennis that stunned the world No. 1 in Saturday’s semi-final.
However, Sinner showed off his excellent serve in the scorching conditions and managed to come out on top in the decisive moments, never facing a break point throughout the match.
The consolation for Medvedev, who almost missed out on the tournament after being caught up in travel disruptions in the Middle East, will be back in the top 10 on Monday.
After the loss, he praised the Sinner-Alcaraz rivalry, saying, “We did our best. It was a good game. Whenever you play with Carlos, I love to watch it. I’m glad I didn’t have to play Carlos again right now, but I love watching you guys play. Good luck, keep winning, never stop, and your team too.”
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Martina Navratilova revealed that she once held a pilot’s license as she filmed a high-flying flight over Indian Wells during a live broadcast…
Henman: Sinner’s serve became a big weapon
Sinner had an unparalleled performance in the California desert, not dropping a set through two weeks.
Former British number one Tim Henman said on Sky Sports Tennis:
“Consistency and inner belief got him over the line at the biggest moment of a big event, the final.
“Sinner found a way to come out on top, as he always does.
“You make changes to get better, but sometimes changes make you worse. If you look back at Sinner’s serve, it’s a big asset. He changed his footwork and was really hitting his position.”
“Sinner is completely dominating on his serve and gives us a great platform to be aggressive.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova said: “When he’s healthy, Sinner is always the favorite to win. It was crazy how the players backed up their serves, but Medvedev blinked. Sinner is the most prolific and consistent performer on the men’s tour.”
“The consistency is off the charts.”
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Will Medvedev be able to break the grip of sinners and Alcaraz?
Can Daniil Medvedev break the dominance of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
“They push each other and push the rest of the team on the field to get better,” Navratilova said. “They have to do that! Daniil knows that. He has to be more aggressive. If he plays the way he’s used to, he won’t beat the top players, but everyone’s level will go up.”
Henman added: “We’re looking for the next player to close the gap, and I think Medvedev has closed the gap. He’s not there today, but if he can maintain this level and this kind of intensity, he’ll have a chance – on the hard court, of course.”
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