Sinner wins in Indian Wells. Dedication to Kimi Antonelli

The best Medvedev seen in years was not enough to snatch victory from Jannik Sinner in Indian Wells: the Italia triumphed in the Californian Mille for the first time in his career, the only one he missed on cement. For him it is the first title in 2026.

The match - which ended 7-6, 7-6 - was tough and very balanced, made up of long, deep and exhausting exchanges (unless the first serves prevented them from starting). In the first set, Jannik failed to take advantage of two break points at 3-all, then won in a perfectly played tiebreak, never allowing his opponent the slightest space on his serve. The second set followed the same script: the Russian did not retreat a step, he showed the confidence and solidity that had given Alcaraz no chance (also thanks to his new coach, Swedish Thomas Johansson, Australian Open champion in 2002).

It came down to 6:00 and there was a twist: the Italian went down 0-4 (thanks to a double fault), everything seemed to be in jeopardy, and the third set beckoned. But Sinner, the phenomenon that he is, manages to turn the situation around, one point at a time, until he wins match point with a masterful exchange of 17 strokes. And when he closes with one of his answers, he brings his finger pointing to his heart, then his arms to the sky and an open smile that says it all about his happiness.

"I'm speechless," he commented hotly. "A very tough match. It's good to see Daniil coming back to play at this level. Since the first day we have been training hard, I am happy to share this result with my team and friends." At 0-4 in the tiebreak "I kept believing, pushing, looking for my shots". During the prize-giving ceremony, there was a tribute to Kimi Antonelli, winner of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in China at the age of 19. A good day for Italian sport.