Rolex endorser Sinner defeats Medvedev to claim his first Indian Wells Masters title.

On March 16, Beijing time, the 2026 ATP 1000 Indian Wells Masters crowned its men's singles champion. Rolex endorser and world No. 2 Sinner defeated 11th seed Medvedev in the final with a double tie-break victory of 7-6(6)/7-6(4), securing his first Indian Wells Masters title. With this win, he joins Djokovic and Federer as the third player in history to have won all six hardcourt Masters tournaments.

In the second-set tie-break, Sinner trailed 0-4 but remarkably rallied to win seven consecutive points and clinch the match, improving his head-to-head record against Medvedev to 9-7. He has won nine of their last ten encounters. After winning the Paris Masters last November without dropping a set, Sinner replicated that feat in this tournament, becoming the first player since the Masters series began in 1990 to win back-to-back Masters titles without losing a single set.

Sinner

"I kept believing and continued applying pressure," Sinner said after the match regarding the tie-break comeback. "I attacked more decisively because if we went to a third set, we would start from scratch again, so I pushed hard to finish the match early. I'm extremely happy to achieve such an incredible ending. It was a very tough match, and seeing Daniil (Medvedev) back at his peak is inspiring. I trained hard from the first day I arrived here, and this result brings me immense satisfaction. Sharing this moment with my team and friends is truly special."

With this championship, Sinner further narrowed the points gap with world No. 1 Alcaraz (currently 2150 points behind). Alcaraz had won the Australian Open and Doha titles this year, but his unbeaten season streak was broken by Medvedev in the semifinals. Sinner still has significant room to gain points over the next two months, as the Italian missed four Masters tournaments last year—Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid—due to a three-month suspension.

（Text and editing/ Wang Fei, Image/ Visual China Group）