Medvedev: "Looking at this last tournament, maybe I'm not so far from Alcaraz and Sinner"

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Although he didn't lift the champion's title, many fans see Daniil Medvedev as the true winner of this Indian Wells 2026 tournament after his significant improvement in performance. What will the Russian think after his loss in the final against Jannik Sinner?

Well, like any great champion and former world number one, obviously, Daniil Medvedev is far from feeling satisfied with his role in the first Masters 1000 of the season. However, in an interview with the Russian media БОЛЬШЕ!, he has confessed that he takes away very positive aspects from California, although his mind is solely focused on continuing to work until he can catch up with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, the two players who usually spoil his plans at major events. These were his words.

Reflections on the Indian Wells final

"I have no regrets, but it's true that when you lose, no matter how well you played, you don't get that taste of victory. I probably played well, so I hope it gives me a boost for the next tournament, although at my age, everything is different. It's not like Joao (Fonseca), who is 20 years old, and playing well against Jannik might benefit him in the future. I had to try to win, but it didn't work out. Still, reaching the final and defeating Carlos surely gives me confidence for the near future, although now there's only one more hardcourt tournament left."

Is the best Medvedev back?

"In those years, I could even disappear during a tournament and then come back just as suddenly, almost by accident. However, before Dubai, I couldn't even hit a ball on the court. There I was probably a much worse player than in 2019-2020, before that Cincinnati-US Open. I don't know, suddenly in Dubai, I found some confidence, so now I'll try to maintain it in Miami; usually, when I catch that wave, it works for me. The more times I can catch that wave, the higher I'll climb in the rankings and the more opportunities I'll have to beat Carlos, Jannik, and other top players."

Medvedev claims to be getting closer to Alcaraz and Sinner

"Considering these last two matches, maybe I'm not so far behind. I might have even been better than Carlos in certain aspects, with Jannik, I probably wasn't better at anything anymore, but I was close to his level. I served better than Carlos, but Jannik served much better than me, better than anyone I've played against this year. My backhand was good, perhaps even better than Jannik's, but his serving was so good that it wore me out, which ends up tiring you. Where they excel is consistency; they play like that all year. I have more ups and downs; to beat them, I need my best level, as seen this week."

Everything needs work, especially the physical aspect

"In tennis, everything is interconnected; you can't prioritize one thing over the rest. I won't mention names, but there's a player right now who wasn't particularly strong physically before, it seemed that if you extended the points, he could get tired, but he started improving a lot and has become ten times stronger. I have always worked hard on this aspect, I have always trusted the gym; you have to be physically strong. When you feel good physically, like I did in Indian Wells, you do everything better. I'm happy that it's working now, so we'll continue in the same direction."

Thomas Johansson's advice from the stands

"Normally, I can hear his comments; he tries to speak when the crowd isn't cheering, so in the final, I heard him perfectly. I tried to follow some things, but the player can't follow every suggestion instantly. When you're on the court, the coach knows, continues giving you advice, but knows that you're the one who decides and executes. In general, I really enjoy working with Thomas and Rohan; I like what they say, I always listen to them."

Medvedev admits he doesn't always enjoy tennis

"Did I enjoy my game in Dubai and Indian Wells? Yes. Does tennis give me pleasure in general? The answer is no, but neither does life give you everything all the time. I love to work; I love my job, which is tennis, and I love to win. Does it bring pleasure? Pleasure is a strange concept; I would say yes, but not as people imagine. I can't explain it better. It's nice when your work succeeds, but real pleasure is going go-karting once a year or having a dessert. In that, it's different because it's your job, but it's nice. The pleasure is only very strong when you win a tournament; that's true pleasure. Did beating Carlos give me pleasure? Yes, but I was quickly thinking about the match the next day, so it's limited pleasure."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev: “Mirando este último torneo, quizá no esté tan lejos de Alcaraz y Sinner”