Carlos Alcaraz vs. in-form Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells San Francisco | ATP Tour
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Unbeaten Alcaraz and in-form Medvedev clash in Indian Wells San Francisco
Alcaraz leads Medvedev 6-2 in Lexus ATP clash
March 13, 2026
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev back-to-back in the 2023-24 Indian Wells final.
Jerome Coombe
Two of the ATP Tour’s most in-form players will take center stage at the French Open in Paris on Saturday night as Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev battle for a spot in the Indian Wells final.
Alcaraz is unbeaten in 16 matches starting in 2026 and looked to be the dominant force on tour ahead of the semi-finals. However, world number one Medvedev faces a tough test, having arrived in the desert fresh off his victory in Dubai and one of only two men (along with Jannik Sinner) who has not dropped a set in two weeks.
Top 4 time⏰@carlosalcaraz bear @DaniilMedwed In order to enter the final⚔️
This graph shows player data from the tournament so far, compared to their 52-week average on the ATP Tour#TennisInsights | @atptour | @BNPPARIBASOPEN pic.twitter.com/6uNP9N2T3I
— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) March 13, 2026
An interesting subplot of Saturday’s match is that Medvedev defeated Alcaraz in back-to-back Indian Wells finals to win the ATP Masters 1000 event twice, in 2023 and 2024. However, Medvedev believes things may be slightly in his favor this year, despite falling 2-6 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
“If it’s Carlos, I think I’m playing great – very good tennis,” Medvedev said before the Spaniard completed his quarterfinal win over Cameron Norrie. “I never want to jump to conclusions [and say it’s the] Best tennis of my life or whatever. I played well.
“I feel like the court has gotten a little bit faster since I played him twice, so I feel like it’s a good opportunity to show my best tennis against him. But he’s our toughest opponent right now. Him or Janik, maybe who’s the toughest is debatable.”
After a difficult 2025 that saw him fail to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in seven seasons, Medvedev has steadily rebuilt momentum. The 30-year-old has already won titles in Brisbane and Dubai this year and will move past Novak Djokovic into second place at the PIF ATP Live event in Turin with victory over Alcaraz on Saturday.
Crucially, Medvedev has rediscovered many of the qualities that made him an ever-present threat on hard courts. He serves consistently, absorbs pressure from deep and displays controlled aggression when necessary. Meanwhile, Alcaraz continues to establish his authority in the sport.
With victory at the Australian Open in January, the 22-year-old became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, before claiming the ATP 500 title in Doha. Alcaraz expertly blended his signature blend of power, speed and improvisation in his quest for a third title in Indian Wells.
“Tennis is about picking the right shot in about half a second,” Alcaraz said after hitting 19 forehand winners in a quarterfinal win over Nori. “Sometimes I just miss shots because I don’t pick the right shot. In my mind, I have seven or five options, and sometimes it’s hard for me to pick the right shot.”
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While Alcaraz was pushed hard over the two weeks – losing in the third round to Arthur Rinderknech – he has since advanced to his fifth straight desert semifinal with impressive wins over Casper Ruud and Norrie.
Medvedev arrived with momentum, winning his last 16 sets and beating defending champion Jack Draper in the quarterfinals, according to the Infosys ATP Win-Loss Index. The game highlighted the confidence he brings to his ninth meeting with Alcaraz in what promises to be another compelling chapter in their rivalry.
