Daniil Medvedev came within a few points of winning his first Indian Wells title on Sunday.
However, it was not to be for the 30-year-old Russian, who was defeated 6-7, 6-7 by Jannik Sinner in the Californian desert.
After defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals, Medvedev continued his good form in the final.
Will Daniil Medvedev ever win another Grand Slam title?
The Russian played superbly, serving seven aces and winning 77 per cent of his first serve attempts against the Italian.
Despite his efforts, the former US Open champion fell just short, and has since reacted to the result on social media.
Daniil Medvedev’s message to Jannik Sinner
In a post on X [formerly Twitter], Medvedev said: “Today wasn’t good enough.
“Congrats to Jannik Sinner and his team. Overall a very good tournament. Thank you BNP Paribas Open for the support. See you next year.”
Medvedev’s start to the 2026 season has been superb. The Russian has more than proved that he is ready to challenge for the biggest titles again while also proving that he can perform well on slow hard courts.
Medvedev kept Sinner at arm’s length throughout the match, surrendering only two break-point opportunities.
Medvedev will now travel to Florida for the Miami Masters: a tournament he won in 2023.
That year, the Russian defeated Chris Eubanks, Karen Khachanov and Jannik Sinner on his way to the title.
Both Sinner and Medvedev will need to make adjustments in Miami. The Floridian courts are much quicker than those in Indian Wells.
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As per Tennis Abstract Indian Wells had a court speed of 0.73 in 2025, while the Miami Masters had a court speed of 1.18.
Could Daniil Medvedev win the Miami Masters?
It is certainly not an impossibility.
Medvedev has previous experience winning the title, and with his game suiting fast hard courts, he should feel right at home in Florida.
Medvedev will hope to improve upon his performance at last year’s event. He was defeated in his opening match by Jaume Munar [pictured below].
The biggest factor deterring Medvedev’s success may not be the surface, but rather the weather conditions in Miami.
While Indian Wells has dry, hot conditions, Miami is a humid, hot event; posing a different set of challenges to players.
