Jannik Sinner on Sunday beat Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells 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 No. 2-ranked Italian beat Medvedev for the ninth time in their last 10 matches to claim his first title at the California desert tournament. Medvedev handed top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz his first loss of the year in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open.
Sinner congratulated fellow Italian Kimi Antonelli, who won Formula One’s Chinese Grand Prix earlier on Sunday.
Photo: AP
“It hasn’t anything to do with tennis, but it has been a special day for Italy,” Sinner said. “Because I’m a huge Formula One fan and having a very, very young Italian, Kimi, bringing Italy back home at the top, it’s amazing. So, thanks, Kimi, thanks Formula One, and see you next year.”
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday beat Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the women’s final for her first Indian Wells title. Sabalenka, a runner-up in 2023 and last year, finished off the win with a big serve that Rybakina hit long.
It was a sweltering afternoon on the court. The 27-year-old Sabalenka had a chance to close out the third set, but was broken at 5-4. Rybakina found herself with a championship point in the tiebreaker, only to have Sabalenka hit a backhand winner.
Photo: AP
“I think the whole idea going into this match was to be mentally strong, to stay strong, no matter what, to show with the body language that I’m here, I’m fighting,” Sabalenka said in a post-match interview on the Tennis Channel. “You have to get a win with incredible tennis, and that was the whole idea going into this one. I’m happy that it really worked.”
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
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