INDIAN WELLS – Daniil Medvedev may or may not be the third man that tennis awaits, but after a downbeat 2025, he still has unconventional brilliance in him.
It has been on display in far-apart deserts in the last month with a title in Dubai followed up by a run to the final in Indian Wells, where Medvedev brought No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz’s winning streak to an unexpected halt in the semifinals on Saturday.
“I play 10 matches against Carlos, probably I’m going to lose more than I’m going to win,” Medvedev said. “But whenever I go on court, I need to believe in myself. I need to try my best and try to win as much as I can.”
That has not always been the case in the last two seasons as the burnout and frustration deepened, but at age 30, instead of settling into decline, he is showing signs of genuine revival under his new coaching team of Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke.
Medvedev was no sure thing to make it here in time for the tournament after war in the Middle East delayed his departure from Dubai. But he has made the most of the opportunity, and there was no hint of negativity on Saturday in the sunshine against Alcaraz: only deep-work focus and Medvedev’s unique, limbs-akimbo blend of defense and offense.
On this toasty late afternoon, when the ball was bouncing higher than usual in temperatures well above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, Medvedev found his range early and never lost it: smoking groundstrokes near the lines and frustrating the formidable Alcaraz with depth and big-bang serving under duress.
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