[Watch Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner live in the USA on Fubo]

The championship match of a demanding tournament is set, featuring two of the sport’s top rivals after an impressive run through the draw. World No. 2 Jannik Sinner enters the final as the clear favorite following a dominant semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, putting the Italian within reach of another career title.

Standing in his way, however, is a red-hot Daniil Medvedev, who delivered one of the biggest surprises of the tournament by knocking out Carlos Alcaraz. With both players arriving in strong form and a trophy on the line, the stage is set for a high-stakes final that could produce another dramatic upset.

When will the Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner match be played?

Daniil Medvedev take on Jannik Sinner in the 2026 Indian Wells Open final this Sunday, March 15. The action will start at 6:00 PM (ET).

Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner: Time by State in the USA

ET: 6:00 PM
CT: 5:00 PM
MT: 4:00 PM
PT: 3:00 PM

How to watch Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner in the USA

Don’t miss this electrifying 2026 Indian Wells Open clash between Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner live on Fubo. Other options: ESPN and Tennis Channel.

“He’s my guy,” Alcaraz told reporters following his clinical win over the veteran Bulgarian. “I knew he was coming. He reached out and told me, ‘I’m doing my rehab nearby, so I’m going to show up to watch you.’ I was just really, really happy that after everything he’s been through with the surgery and the knee, he was able to make it out to my match.”

Butler was seen cheering from the stands at Indian Wells, a notable public appearance as he navigates a grueling recovery from a torn right ACL. The injury, sustained in January, prematurely ended his first full season with the Warriors, but his presence in “Tennis Paradise” underscored a high-profile friendship with Alcaraz that has become a recurring theme on the ATP Tour.

“I really appreciate that. I don’t get to see him very often, but the fact that he’s making the effort to come over means a lot,” Alcaraz said, reflecting on the support from the six-time NBA All-Star. “I’m just really happy about it.”

Alcaraz breaks down tactics against Dimitrov

While the scoreline suggested a straightforward afternoon, Alcaraz was quick to praise his opponent’s craftiness. The Spaniard used his post-match media availability to break down the adjustments required to neutralize one of the most aesthetic games on tour.

“His style is incredibly dangerous. I had to stay disciplined early, controlling the rallies when he tried to step in and dictate with the slice,” Alcaraz explained. “In these windy conditions, today’s win was even tougher than usual. I think I just adapted a little bit better as the match went on.”

With his perfect 13-0 start to the 2026 season intact, Alcaraz now turns his attention to a third-round clash against Arthur Rinderknech. The Frenchman advanced to the round of 32 via a walkover after Juan Manuel Cerundolo withdrew due to injury, setting up a rematch of their February encounter in Doha.

On February 22, Andreeva claimed the WTA 1000 title in Dubai, and on Sunday, March 16, she achieved a career milestone by defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the Indian Wells final. The 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback showcased her incredible resilience and poise under pressure.

Her path to the Indian Wells crown was just as impressive, with victories over top-tier opponents, including Iga Swiatek in the semifinals, Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals, and Elena Rybakina in the Round of 16. Andreeva’s victory makes her the youngest player to win the prestigious tournament since Serena Williams in 1999.

After her triumph, Andreeva reflected on the match. “Honestly, after the first set, where Aryna was just dominating, I didn’t know what to do and had negative thoughts about the missed opportunities,” Andreeva said.

“But during the break, I went to the bathroom, looked at myself in the mirror, and started saying positive things to myself. It worked,“ she continued. “I’d like to thank myself for fighting to the end, believing in myself, and running like a rabbit because Aryna was firing shots at me”.

When she declared her ambition to break Djokovic’s record

Back in 2023, Andreeva was already making waves on the WTA Tour. During Roland Garros, she was asked about her aspirations, and her response set the tone for her career goals.

“I know Djokovic has won 22 or 23 Grand Slams, so I want to get to 25, if possible,” Andreeva admitted. “But for now, my goal is to take it one match at a time, win the next match, and then win the one after that. That’s all—just focus on each match”.

WTA rankings after Indian Wells:

• 1- Aryna Sabalenka – 9,606 points
• 2- Iga Swiatek – 7,375 points
• 3- Coco Gauff – 6,063 points
• 4- Jessica Pegula – 5,361 points
• 5- Madison Keys – 5,004 points
• 6- Mirra Andreeva – 4,710 points
• 7- Jasmine Paolini – 4,518 points
• 8- Elena Rybakina – 4,448 points
• 9- Qinwen Zheng – 3,985 points
• 10- Emma Navarro – 3,859 points

“Miami is my favorite city in the United States,” Zverev said during a press conference this week, as shared by the official ATP Tour website. “I genuinely love spending time here.”

Comparing the Masters 1000 event in Florida this week to his recent experience at Indian Wells, the German star was candid: “The conditions are probably more suited for me. The courts are a lot faster. It’s more humid, so the ball slows down in the air a bit more than in the desert.”

However, Alexander made it clear that these external factors are not the primary focus for his success. “I have not been playing my best the past few weeks,” he admitted. “I started the season well in Australia, but I haven’t played my best tennis lately. I hope I can turn it around here and showcase some better tennis.”

At the same time, Zverev expressed confidence in his ability to perform well in Miami. “Here, I really want to take it match by match and try to win every single match I play,” he said. “I hope I can show that on court, I had some very good training sessions here, so I remember the feeling of how I played last year a little bit as well. So again, I’m just trying to show that on court in a match.”

Zverev names his favorite NBA team

In a surprising moment during the press conference, Alexander Zverev opened up about why he enjoys spending time in Miami. “My favorite sports team is here with the Miami Heat, so I genuinely love being here,” revealed the World No. 2-ranked player.

Miami Open draw

With Jannik Sinner absent from the tournament due to his suspension, the top seed of the Miami Open will be Alexander Zverev. He will begin his campaign against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi or a qualifier. Should he improve upon his recent performances and advance to the later rounds, the German star could face a tough challenge in the quarterfinals: Jack Draper, the recent champion of Indian Wells.

“He’s definitely a good player. He’s grown and matured a lot, and he deserves to be a Masters 1000 champion. He deserves to be in the Top 10 as well,” Zverev said of Draper. “Indian Wells is a tournament where a lot of players struggle, and a lot of players love it. I’ve always been more on the struggling side, unfortunately.”

After the final, in which she defeated World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Andreeva confessed she has been listening to “a lot of LeBron James interviews” to learn his mindset. “He said that it’s easy to be confident and play good when everything goes your way, but what makes you a champion is when you’re giving your best when you don’t feel great. So that’s what I tried to do today,” she told the press.

James responded to the shoutout in an Instagram story, published on Monday, March 17: “CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Happy to have helped but honestly YOU did THAT!! All your hard work, drive and dedication towards your craft! KEEP GOING! #striveforgreatness,” adding several emojis such as a trophy and a gold medal.

This wasn’t the first time that Andreeva addressed that she takes inspiration from James. After winning the title at the Dubai Open last week, she said that she watches videos from James, as well as her tennis idol Roger Federer.

“Well, when I want to motivate or inspire myself, I’m watching some of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and of course my idol since I was very, very young was Roger Federer,” Andreeva told the press. “Before the matches I’ve been watching highlights of him playing the final of the Australian Open in 2017 against Nadal,” she said.

Andreeava’s impressive 2025 season

Andreeva defeated Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling match in which she came back from a set down to claim her first WTA 1000 title (2-6, 6-4, 6-3). The Russian star is the third youngest woman to win Indian Wells after Serena Williams and Martina Hingis.

However, before Indian Wells, Andreeva, who is coached by legend Conchita Martinez, also had a great week in Dubai, beating Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina on route to the trophy. She also broke into the Top 6 for the first time in her career.

World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has responded to criticism following an incident at Indian Wells, where she struck a ball in frustration during her semifinal match against Mirra Andreeva, who eventually won the title to make history. The ball landed in the stands and came close to hitting a ball kid.

The incident sparked backlash on social media, with some fans calling her actions “unacceptable.” Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Indian Wells winner, issued an apology and asked for understanding.

“I expressed frustration in a way I’m not proud of,” she wrote. “My intention was never to aim the ball at anyone but merely to release my frustration by bouncing it on the ground. I immediately apologized to the ball boy, we made eye contact and nodded to each other when I expressed regret that it happened near him.”

However, she feels there’s a double standard. “I’ve seen many players bounce balls in frustration, and frankly, I didn’t expect such harsh judgements,” she wrote. “Usually, I control such impulses, so half-jokingly I can say I lack experience in this and misjudged my aim in the heat of the moment.”

The Polish star admitted that the doping ban ‘upset her’

Swiatek shared that she has faced an “extremely challenging” period after testing positive for a banned substance, which led to a one-month suspension. The ban forced her to miss three tournaments, complicating her path back to the top of the WTA rankings.

“This realization deeply upset me,” added Swiatek. “You could see this on the court in Dubai. I know that playing while stuck in past frustrations, over things beyond my control, isn’t the right path.“

“My team and I recognized this issue almost immediately (with their experience, probably faster than anyone could imagine), but shifting perspective takes significant time, effort and team support.”

After explaining that working on “oneself isn’t something you achieve once and keep forever,” she added that: “Sport is not played by robots. I’ve had three incredible seasons, but nothing comes effortlessly, and there’s no guarantee results will always be easy or under control.”

Swiatek complains about being called ‘hysterical’

Lastly, the Polish star criticized the “expectations” she has to face. “When I’m highly focused and don’t show many emotions on court, I’m called a robot, my attitude labeled as inhuman. Now that I’m more expressive, showing feelings or struggling internally, I’m suddenly labeled immature or hysterical,” she said.

“That’s not a healthy standard—especially considered that just six months ago, I felt my career was hanging by a thread, spent three weeks crying daily, and I didn’t want to step into the court,” she revealed.

Swiatke’s complaints are not new, especially from women players, such as Naomi Osaka or Serena Williams, who have been labelled difficult for expressing their anger, frustration or even sadness on court.

Seventeen-year-old Mirra Andreeva has become the 2025 Indian Wells champion after defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, coming back from a set down (2-6, 6-4, 6-3). With the victory, the Russian star not only adds a new trophy to her cabinet but also matches historic feats achieved by Serena Williams, Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf.

Andreeva, who recently won the Dubai title, is now the third youngest player ever to win Indian Wells, just behind Williams and Hingis. The younger Williams sister claimed the tournament at 17 years, 283 days, while Andreeva did so at 17 years, 309 days.

She is also the third player to defeat both the World No. 2 and World No. 1 en route to a title after Serena Williams did it at the 1999 US Open, and Steffi Graf in the 1987 French Open. If that wasn’t enough, she is also the youngest player to win back-to-back WTA 1000 events since 16-year-old Hingis in 1997.

Andreeva secured the title by navigating a challenging draw. In addition to consecutive victories over the top two seeds, Iga Swiatek and Sabalenka, she also defeated Varvara Gracheva, 22nd seed Clara Tauson in a rematch of the Dubai final, 7th seed Elena Rybakina, and 23rd seed Elina Svitolina.

After lifting the trophy, the 17-year-old thanked her team, led by Conchita Martinez, as well as herself. “Last but not least, I’d like to thank myself,” she said, prompting laughter and cheers from the crowd. “For fighting till the end and always believing in me. For never quitting. I tried to run like a rabbit today because Aryna was sending bullets,” she joked.

Coached by Conchita Martínez, Andreeva makes the Top 6

Conchita Martinez, a former World No. 2 and Wimbledon champion, coaches the Russian star. The Spanish legend previously worked with Garbiñe Muguruza, guiding her to the 2017 Wimbledon title, as well as Karolina Pliskova.

With her victory, Andreeva will rise to No. 6 in the world, having entered the Top 10 for the first time last week after her Dubai win. The teenager is also one of the most consistent players on tour, currently holding the most wins in 2025 (19).

In the nearly 50 years since the tournament began, only two players had reached four consecutive semifinals: Nadal and Djokovic. Now, Alcaraz has joined that exclusive group, with the potential to extend his streak in the coming years, given his age and exceptional talent.

Carlos first made it into the top four at Indian Wells in 2022, where he was defeated by his compatriot Nadal, who then lost the final to Taylor Fritz. However, Alcaraz got his revenge in 2023 and 2024, not only reaching the semifinals again but also claiming the title on both occasions.

Nevertheless, the young Spaniard has a long road ahead if he wishes to surpass the records of the two legends. Nadal holds the record for reaching the semifinals of the tournament eight times consecutively, from 2006 to 2013, while Djokovic follows closely with six appearances, spanning from 2011 to 2016.

Alcaraz is satisfied with his performance

After his two-set victory over Francisco Cerundolo, Carlos Alcaraz reflected on his performance. “I think he played really good tennis today,” he said about the Argentine’s effort, during a press conference shared by Tennis.com. “He had a lot of chances in the first set, and I’m just pleased about saving all of them, and taking the only one that I had.”

On his own performance, the Spanish star was candid. “Really happy with everything I’ve done today,” he explained. “I think I would say the conditions were tougher than yesterday. It was windier, colder – so it was really difficult for me to start the match.”

What’s next for Alcaraz?

After a demanding week of competition in the California desert, Carlos Alcaraz will have a brief rest on Friday before preparing for his semifinal match on Saturday. He will face Jack Draper, who defeated Ben Shelton in the quarterfinals. The other semifinal will feature Holger Rune against Daniil Medvedev.

The next record Alcaraz can reach

Just two matches away from another major milestone, Carlos Alcaraz has the opportunity to make history once again: by reaching three consecutive Indian Wells finals. The last player to achieve this feat was Roger Federer, who won the title in 2017 and finished as the runner-up in 2018 (to Juan Martín del Potro) and 2019 (to Dominic Thiem).

Should Alcaraz make it to the final, another prestigious record could be within his grasp: becoming one of just three players to have won three consecutive Indian Wells titles. The others to achieve this remarkable feat are Roger Federer (2004-2006) and Novak Djokovic (2014-2016).

Andreeva, of 17 years and 318 days old, is now the youngest player to reach multiple and consecutive WTA-1000 semi-finals, surpassing Azarenka (19y 280d) on the latter, since the format introduction in 2009.

She is also the youngest player to reach the Indian Wells semifinals since her compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, also in 2009. With the victory, the Russian star, who revealed her favorite player of all time, increased her winning streak to 10 matches.

“Of course, I knew the match was going to be tough,” said Andreeva, per the tournament’s official website. “I watched her play so many times when I was younger so I kind of knew what to expect. I knew that she was going to fight for every ball and I kind of tried to overfight her.”

She not only defied the former Top 10, but also the extreme conditions. “I tried to play my tennis. But it wasn’t easy in these conditions. So I’m just super happy that I managed to win today,” she said.

She will face Iga Siwatek in the semifinals

Andreeva will now have to face World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek, who is looking for her third title at Indian Wells. Their head-to-head is 1-1, as Andreeva defeated the Polish star in their most recent meeting in Dubai. Both players are in exceptional form.

Mirra, who won the silver medal in the Paris Olympics, is coming from winning the Dubai Open, in which she also defeated Marketa Vondrousova and Elena Rybakina. In the final, she beat Clara Tauson 7-6(1), 6-1 in a hard-hitting final and became the youngest player to capture a WTA 1000 title.

“Just accepting the highs and lows. I think sometimes in sports you want to just stay on the high and kind of ride that wave, but especially with this sport, a season as long as tennis, it’s kind of impossible to always be on that high wave, and there’s going to be some low moments I think. Just trying to stick through those tough moments and get better through them,” she told reporters when reflecting on her time on tour.

“Overall I feel like, I mean, it’s not as bad as it seems,” she said after her loss to Bencic. The American is now working with Matt Daly after parting ways with Brad Gilbert last year and has been experimenting with grip adjustments.

“I lost 6-4 in the third in the fourth round against a tough opponent who’s coming off a 500 win. Obviously I wanted to do better, want to have better results, but it’s not something I can crush myself on. I’m trying to do better, and that’s all I can do. I’m trying to work on things in practice, and unfortunately right now it’s not translating how I’d like to,” she explained.

Coco Gauff’s slump in 2025

Gauff ended 2024 on a high, winning a WTA 1000 title in Beijing and securing her first WTA Finals crown in Riyadh. She entered 2025 with strong momentum. After going 5-0 at the United Cup and defeating Iga Swiatek, she was considered a top contender for the Australian Open.

However, she fell to Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals in Melbourne. Her struggles continued with back-to-back first-round exits in Qatar against Marta Kostyuk and in Dubai against McCartney Kessler. At Indian Wells, she managed wins over Moyuka Uchijima and Maria Sakkari before her loss to Bencic.

The Swiss star continues her strong run after returning from maternity leave. She gave birth to her daughter Bella last April and return to the tour in the fall. The 2021 Olympic gold medalist won her ninth title at the 2025 Abu Dhabi Open. Now, she will face fifth seed and Australian Open champion, Madison Keys.

After eliminating Mariano Navone and Karen Khachanov in the opening rounds of the tournament, Ben faced Nakashima in the Round of 16. He won in commanding fashion, 7-6, 6-1, earning a spot in the quarterfinals. At just 22 years of age, Shelton became the youngest American player to reach the Indian Wells quarterfinals in the past two decades.

The last time an American achieved this feat was in the 2004 edition, when Andy Roddick, then 21 years old, reached the quarterfinals after defeating Jean-Michel Gambill, Marat Safin, and Nicolas Escude. Roddick was ultimately defeated by Tim Henman in three sets.

Shelton reflects on his performance

Following his victory over Brandon Nakashima, Ben Shelton addressed the media and shared his thoughts on the match. “For me, the second set was outstanding. Whenever you can get a two-break win in a set against a server like him, it’s really encouraging for where my level is at,” he said, according to the official ATP Tour website.

“I am pleased with my performance today. I think there are things I am trying to add into my game each week, and I am trying to implement them this week,” Shelton continued. “Sometimes things don’t work all the time. I make execution mistakes. I feel my intent has been really good this week, and that has been a huge part of my success.”

What’s next for Shelton at Indian Wells?

Currently ranked 12th in the ATP rankings, Ben Shelton knows that the points he earns at Indian Wells will bring him closer to his goal of breaking into the top ten for the first time in his professional career. In the quarterfinals, he will face the winner between Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper.

“I feel confident. It is a big goal for me to keep improving and keep going deeper in the big events,” Shelton said. “I had some success at Slams, and Masters events are a big goal for me this year because there are so many throughout the year and they are high stakes. I am pleased to be in another quarterfinal, but I am searching for more.”