Runner-up "Medvedev" blooms thrice, Sinner completes the hard-court major sweep!

Still struggling against the Sinner combo! Even the mighty Djokovic couldn't achieve it at the Australian Open, and Medvedev likewise failed to accomplish it at Indian Wells, despite his performance being vastly improved compared to last season—this resurgence journey has already been stunning.

Early this morning Beijing time, the men's singles final of the Indian Wells Masters concluded. After two tie-breaks, Sinner, who made his first final appearance at this event, defeated Medvedev—who had beaten two-time tournament champion Alcaraz in the semifinals—to claim his first title here. Meanwhile, Medvedev, who has reached the semifinals for many consecutive years, had to once again accept the runner-up result; this marks his third final defeat without clinching the crown at this venue.

Through this battle, Sinner has set multiple new records; see the highlights below:

Hard-court elite honor Grand Slam

After winning this tournament, Sinner has now captured all "major championships" on hard courts (the six hard-court Masters, ATP Finals, Australian Open, and US Open). In tennis history, who else has achieved this before? Only Federer and Djokovic have reached this milestone; Nadal lacks Miami, Shanghai, Paris, and the ATP Finals.

How astonishing is Sinner's efficiency? From his first Masters triumph in Toronto 2023 to now, it's been less than three years, yet he has already collected all the aforementioned elite hard-court honors—who else could be the new king of hard courts?

Regarding historical winning streaks, the Italian has now consecutively won 22 sets at Masters-level events, surpassing Alcaraz's 21 sets. This statistic ranks second in history since 1990 (only behind Djokovic's 24 sets in 2016).

Before the semifinals of this tournament, discussions centered on whether Alcaraz could continue his outdoor hard-court winning streak following his predecessors, and Medvedev's resurgence was also widely talked about. Sinner's potential victory wasn't broadly highlighted, but the Italian chose to advance quietly.

Especially in the second-set tie-break, Medvedev once led 4-0, but Sinner stubbornly fought back. Of course, the net also aided him at a crucial moment: a shot at 4-2 lead hit the net and popped out, turning the score to 3-4 instead of 5-2.

This marks Sinner's second consecutive Masters title won without dropping a set, even though his baseline play wasn't exceptionally dominant. If he regains his peak form, he will likely become even harder to defeat.

After the first two major tournaments of the season, Alcaraz remains strong, Djokovic is not fading, and Medvedev has resurged. Can Sinner continue to stand firm with his dominance? At the Indian Wells Masters, he has already provided the answer.（Source: Tennis Home Author: Luo Cheng Seventh Lord）