Daniil Medvedev plays the villain, upsets Carlos Alcaraz in Indian Wells semis Carlos Alcaraz described Daniil Medvedev’s semifinal victory at the BNP Paribas Open as a performance he had never seen before, calling it “unreal.” The Russian, seeded 11th, stunned the top-seeded Alcaraz with a 6-3, 7-6(3) win on Saturday, sending the Spanish star to his first loss of the year. The result shifted the final’s potential matchup, eliminating a highly anticipated clash between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the world’s top two players. Medvedev, who had previously been dubbed “Malvadao” by Brazilian fans—a term meaning “villain” or “the bad guy”—embraced the label, stating, “I guess on the court I am. In life, I’m not at all this guy.” The nickname resonated during his semifinal match, where he delivered a nearly flawless display of power, precision, and composure. Despite Alcaraz’s highlight-reel forehand shots, Medvedev maintained control, breaking serve early in the first set and holding throughout. The match’s intensity escalated in the second set, where Alcaraz briefly took a break lead, only for Medvedev to rally with his physical advantages. The 6-foot-6 Russian saved multiple break points, including a crucial one in the 10th game, before sealing the set with an ace and a net shot. In the tiebreaker, Medvedev dominated, converting six of his first seven points, including several off Alcaraz’s first serves. Alcaraz admitted to being surprised by Medvedev’s aggression, noting, “How aggressive he played all the time… he didn’t miss as much as I expected.” Despite his efforts, Alcaraz’s 16-match winning streak was snapped, marking his first loss of 2026.#jannik_sinner #bnpparibas_open #carlos_alcaraz #daniil_medvedev #dual_lipa
