Daniil Medvedev stepped out on to Stadium 1 at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Sunday evening with a 19-match winning streak behind him, confidence flowing. He was the in-form player on the tour, a champion established as the best hard-court player of his generation. And yet, by the end, none of that mattered. Forty-five minutes into the final, he was completely out of ideas.
Such is the power of Carlos Alcaraz, a generational talent who at 19 continues to produce greatness seemingly every time he steps on the court. After a brutal few months of injuries, Alcaraz re-established himself at the top with a statement victory, demolishing Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 to win the Indian Wells title and clinch his first big title since becoming US Open champion.
