Sinner became the third player in history to complete a collection of six ATP Masters 1000 titles on hard courts, alongside Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Sinner celebrates his ATP BNP Paribas Open title on Center Court at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US on 15/3. *Photo: Reuters*

The 24-year-old player, who did not lose a set in California, also became the first to win two consecutive Masters 1000 tournaments without dropping a set, following his flawless run at the Paris Masters last November.

In Sunday's final, Sinner rallied from a 0-4 deficit in the second set tie-break against Medvedev, winning seven consecutive points to close out the match. "I kept believing and kept pushing myself," Sinner said when asked about the tie-break comeback. "I started taking more risks with my shots after being down 0-4. If it went to a third set, everything would reset, so I tried my best to finish the match right away. It was a great ending."

The Italian player's perfect week in California secured his first title of the year and narrowed the gap with world number one Carlos Alcaraz. The Spanish player had won the Australian Open and Doha this season, but his 16-match unbeaten streak was halted by Medvedev in the Indian Wells semifinals.

Currently ranked second in the ATP standings, 2,200 points behind Alcaraz, Sinner has a significant opportunity to close the gap. Last season, he did not compete in the Masters 1000 events in Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid – three tournaments scheduled to take place in the next seven weeks.

Sinner has now won Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells, Miami, Canada, Cincinnati, Shanghai, and Paris. His victory over Medvedev also made him the first Italian male player to reach the milestone of 100 Masters 1000 match wins. Along with the Australian Open, US Open, and ATP Finals titles, Sinner has now secured a full set of major hard-court titles.

Sinner during his match against Medvedev on Center Court at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, US on 15/3. *Photo: Reuters*

In the opening set, Medvedev started strongly after defeating Alcaraz in the semifinals, playing confidently and applying early pressure on Sinner. The 30-year-old won the first six points of the match but could not convert that advantage into an early break, before having to fend off pressure from his opponent in service games at 3-3 and 4-4.

Sinner, who took a medical timeout while trailing 3-4 to re-tape his right ankle, failed to convert two break points in the set and was constantly forced to move by Medvedev. As the tight contest entered a tie-break, Sinner appeared calmer. The 24-year-old gained an advantage when Medvedev missed a forehand volley at 5-4, then closed out the set on his second set point.

The second set remained balanced, with both players holding serve to force another tie-break. Sinner rallied from a 0-4 deficit to win after one hour and 55 minutes. Neither player lost a service game in the match, with Sinner winning 91% of points after his first serve (43/47).

Sinner now leads Medvedev 9-7 in their head-to-head record, having won nine of their last ten encounters. The world number two has a 13-2 win-loss record this season, and this is his first title since winning the ATP Finals in Turin last November.

Despite the loss, Medvedev will return to the Top 10 in the ATP rankings on Monday. The 30-year-old leads the ATP Tour in match wins for 2026 (18), having won Brisbane and Dubai, and leaves California ranked second in the ATP Live Race To Turin standings.

By Vy Anh