At Indian Wells, ATP world no.2 Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4), winning seven straight points to rally from a 4-0 deficit in the second-set tiebreak and claim the title without dropping a single set.
The Italian beat Medvedev for the ninth time in their last 10 matches to claim his first title at the California desert paradise tournament.
Medvedev, who handed world no.1 Carlos Alcaraz his first loss of the year in the semifinals, played tremendously but was no match for Jannik.
In the world number 2’s after-match speech, he congratulated fellow Italian Kimi Antonelli, who won Formula One’s Chinese Grand Prix earlier on Sunday, saying “It has nothing to do with tennis, but it has been a special day for Italy.”
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A great day for Italian sports 🏆🇮🇹🏆@janniksin congratulates Kimi Antonelli on his maiden F1 victory at the Chinese Grand Prix. @BNPPARIBASOPEN | #TennisParadise | @F1 pic.twitter.com/CrCfz1mKKn
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 16, 2026
On the women’s side, World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka beat Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the final last Sunday to claim her first Indian Wells title.
Sabalenka, who was a runner-up in 2023 and ’25, finished off the win with a big serve that Rybakina hit long.
It was a sweltering afternoon on the court with high desert temperatures. The 27-year-old had a chance to close out the third set but was broken at 5-4. This is where Rybakina found herself with a championship point in the tiebreaker, but in true Sabalenka style, she hit a backhand winner to make it even.
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WHAT A MATCH!!! 💪@SabalenkaA is the 2026 Indian Wells Open Champion!#TennisParadise pic.twitter.com/RN9gImPJA7
— wta (@WTA) March 15, 2026
Yesterday’s match marked the 16th time the two players have met, with Sabalenka now holding a 9-7 advantage over Rybakina.
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Feature Image: Gettys
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