Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka win maiden Indian Wells titles

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka captured their first titles at Indian Wells Open after two gripping finals that highlighted the resilience of the world’s top tennis stars.

World No. 2 Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (6), 7-6 (4) in a high quality men’s final. The Italian produced a remarkable comeback in the second set tiebreak, winning seven straight points from a 4-0 deficit to seal the title without dropping a set throughout the tournament. The victory continued his strong run against Medvedev, beating him nine times in their last ten meetings .

Medvedev had earlier stunned top seed Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals, handing the Spaniard his first defeat of the season .

In the women’s final, world No. 1 Sabalenka battled past Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in a dramatic contest played in intense desert heat. Sabalenka recovered after being broken while serving for the match and held her nerve in the deciding tiebreak, saving a championship point before closing out the victory with a powerful serve.

The win was particularly special for Sabalenka, who had previously finished runner up at Indian Wells in 2023 and 2025 . With the victory, she now leads her rivalry with Rybakina 9-7 .

Sabalenka will now shift her focus to the Miami Open , where she heads as the defending champion , hoping to carry the momentum from her memorable triumph in the California desert.