Daniil Medvedev indeed made waves by ending Carlos Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak and eliminating him in the semifinals at Indian Wells. The 30-year-old’s performance has left the tennis world in awe, and Coco Gauff’s former coach and former world No. 4 Brad Gilbert was no exception.
Brad Gilbert Reflects on Daniil Medvedev’s ‘Tremendous Effort’ After Shocking Carlos Alcaraz To Reach Indian Wells Final
Medvedev reached the Indian Wells Tennis Garden after overcoming a challenging situation, having been stranded in Dubai amid rising geopolitical tensions earlier. Nonetheless, he made it to the season’s first Masters 1000 event as the 11th seed.
The World No. 11 enjoyed a smooth run through the draw, defeating Alejandro Tabilo, Sebastian Báez, and Alex Michelsen in straight sets to reach the quarterfinals. He carried that momentum into his clash with defending champion Jack Draper, dispatching him 6-1, 7-5 to reach the semifinals.
Up against Medvedev was top seed Carlos Alcaraz, who was aiming to win his third consecutive title at the BNP Paribas Open and extend his winning streak. Thus, it would be fair to say that the odds were stacked against the world No. 11.
However, the script flipped as Medvedev took control of the clash with aggressive shotmaking, racing to a 4-1 lead in the first set before eventually securing it 6-3. In the second set, Medvedev trailed by a break early on and later faced two set points at 4-5, but he responded with authority, forcing errors from Alcaraz to stay alive. The Russian maintained his composure in the tiebreak and ultimately sealed a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over the higher-ranked Spaniard in one hour and 37 minutes.
Just like many pundits, former player and Gauff’s current coach, Gilbert, also watched the match closely. The 64-year-old also reflected on Medvedev’s performance on X, writing, “tremendous effort from Meddy Bear 🐻 aggressive off the ground and court position off the rallies was big difference for him today.”
Medvedev would now turn his focus on the summit clash against Jannik Sinner, who easily dispatched Alexander Zverev in straight sets. Although the Italian holds a slim 8–7 advantage in their head-to-head record, Medvedev’s recent form, highlighted by his victory over Alcaraz, suggests the contest could be far more evenly balanced.
Still, according to PFSN’s exclusive simulator, Sinner enters the final as the favorite with an 81% chance of claiming the title.
