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Monday’s news from the tennis world includes Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev’s reaction to their Indian Wells final and the draw for the WTA 1000 event in Miami.

We also have news of Novak Djokovic’s injury blow, Alex Eala’s ranking situation ahead of Miami and a former WTA player’s verdict on Indian Wells champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Here is our latest round-up of the biggest headlines from Indian Wells and Miami.

Sinner and Medvedev react to Indian Wells final

Sinner defeated Medvedev 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in the Indian Wells men’s singles final to win the Masters 1000 event in California for the first time.

Medvedev has congratulated Sinner and admitted he “wasn’t good enough” in a candid social media post.

In his press conference, Sinner reflected on his achievement of winning all six Masters 1000 titles and declared that tennis “needs” Medvedev.

Read more: Everything Jannik Sinner said after Indian Wells title win as he sends message to Daniil Medvedev

WTA Miami Open draw

Sabalenka overcame Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(6) in a thrilling women’s singles final in Indian Wells, and the draw for the WTA 1000 in Miami is now out.

Rybakina climbed to a career-high ranking of world No 2 today, but she is seeded third in Miami and has landed in Sabalenka’s half of the draw, which means the duo could meet in the semi-finals.

World No 3 and second seed Iga Swiatek is on a collision course with Filipina star Eala — who she lost to at last year’s event.

Read more: WTA Miami Open Draw: Sabalenka & Rybakina in same half, Swiatek could face Eala

Djokovic injury and ranking blow

Djokovic lost to Jack Draper in the third round in Indian Wells, and the great Serbian has been ruled out of the Miami Open due to a shoulder injury.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner will, therefore, drop the 650 points he earned for his runner-up result in Miami last year, which means he will lose the world No 3 ranking.

Read more: Novak Djokovic suffers an injury setback and his ranking will now take a big hit

Eala rankings pressure

Eala climbed to her career-high ranking of world No 29 today ahead of her return to the Miami Open.

The 20-year-old will be defending 390 points in Miami after she reached the semi-finals as a wildcard last year.

This will be the first time that Eala will face the prospect of dropping a significant amount of points from a previous result.

Read more: Alex Eala: Why Filipina star faces rankings pressure for the first time in her career in Miami

Sabalenka’s final record analysed

Sabalenka had lost six of her last 10 finals prior to beating Rybakina in the Indian Wells championship match.

Before the final, ex-British player Naomi Cavaday spoke exclusively to Tennis365 and discussed Sabalenka’s record in finals.

Cavaday assessed that the Belarusian star could have won all four Grand Slams in 2025 and argued she “beat herself a lot of the time.”

Read more: Aryna Sabalenka accused of ‘beating herself’ as she is urged to find solutions

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The post Sinner and Medvedev’s messages, Eala pressure, Djokovic suffers blow – Indian Wells and Miami roundup appeared first on Tennis365.

Daniil Medvedev has offered a candid assessment of his defeat to Jannik Sinner in the 2026 Indian Wells Open final as he congratulated the Italian in a social media post.

Former world No 1 Medvedev was beaten 7-6(6), 7-6(4) by world No 2 Sinner in a high-quality title match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in California.

Medvedev was not broken in the match, but he was unable to create a single break point on Sinner’s serve in a battle decided by fine margins.

The Russian was two points from winning the first set at 6-6 in the tiebreak, while he led 4-0 in the second set tiebreak before losing the next seven points.

The 2021 US Open champion entered the final on a nine-match winning streak having won 18 consecutive sets across Indian Wells, and Dubai — where he won the title last month.

The 30-year-old delivered a stunning performance to down world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 7-6(3) in the semi-finals in Indian Wells, which ended the Spanish star’s unbeaten start to 2026.

ATP Tour News

Everything Jannik Sinner said after Indian Wells title win as he sends message to Daniil Medvedev

ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Indian Wells: Sinner gains points, Medvedev top 10, Draper & Tsitsipas drop

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In a post on X/Twitter, Medvedev wrote: “Today wasn’t good enough. Congrats to @janniksin and his team.

“Overall a very good tournament. Thank you @BNPPARIBASOPEN for the support. See you next year.”

Having started Indian Wells ranked 11th, Medvedev’s runner-up result at Tennis Paradise has seen him climb back into the top 10.

Asked about this in his press conference, Medvedev said: “It’s a good feeling, but I always said that when I play well, I will return to the top 10. I played well.

“For example, the end of the season, I was very close to finish the year in the top 10, where there were some stretches of the year where it was horrible, and I was not getting any points.

“So if I manage to continue this level, I will be at one point in top 10, maybe top 5, but if I lose this level, then the rankings can fluctuate.

“Does it mean anything special to me? No. But it’s a good feeling at the same time. So, yeah, I cannot answer better.”

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner’s prize money and ranking points after first Indian Wells win

The post Daniil Medvedev makes candid 28-word statement after losing to Jannik Sinner in Indian Wells final appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner has reflected on defeating Daniil Medvedev to secure his maiden Indian Wells title and declared that “tennis needs” the Russian star.

The world No 2 prevailed 7-6(6), 7-6(4) against 11th seed Medvedev in a fiercely contested Indian Wells championship match lasting an hour and 55 minutes.

There were no breaks of serve in the match, and Sinner won seven consecutive points to seal victory having trailed 0-4 in the second set tiebreak.

Sinner has now won all six of the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments played on hard courts, which is a feat Medvedev was also chasing.

Here is everything Sinner said in his post-match press conference.

Q. By winning this, you are also unlocking all six ATP Masters 1000 titles on hard court. How does it feel to get this?

SINNER: Yeah, it feels amazing. Great achievement. Was a very tough match today, so I’m very happy how I handle the situation on the court. It’s great to see Daniil back playing this level. Yeah, and I’m very, very happy.

Q. It seems ridiculous to talk about you being short of titles, having won the last three events of last year, but can you describe your feelings of not just winning here, but getting the first title of 2026, what that means to you and what sort of momentum it might give you?

SINNER: Yeah, I don’t know. I’m very happy, still great results, playing semis of a Grand Slam. And after Australia, this one was again the first big tournament. I’m very happy. Obviously it was a great week. You know, we tried to come here very early. I knew that this was a tournament I haven’t won, so I wanted to come here and prepare it in the best possible way, as professional as possible. Yeah, having now this achievement means a lot to me. Now I have couple of days to relax and, you know, there is not so much time in between here and Miami. So it’s again an important tournament in Miami, but we try to play the best tennis possible there too, and then we see how it goes.

Q. I wanted to ask you a little about the match and specifically about Daniil. Carlos [Alcaraz] was really surprised by him yesterday, said he was more aggressive. I don’t know if that’s what you saw out there, but he’s clearly playing a lot better than he has in recent months. Wondered what your take is, the improvements he made, and if there was anything surprising that you saw from him?

SINNER: No, I feel like he’s playing great, great tennis. He was very confident, you know, winning already couple of titles this year, and, you know, coming here, and then performing very, very well. We don’t have to forget he’s a Grand Slam champion, you know, and that’s for a reason. He played great tennis, serving very well, and I struggled to return, especially on the second serve return. But I do believe that tennis needs him. He’s a very unique style of playing. Seeing him back at this level, it’s great. He’s improving a lot. Very aggressive player at the end. He has two different game styles when he serves and when he returns. So, you know, you have to face that. Yeah, it’s great for the sport having him again playing this level.

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Jannik Sinner’s prize money and ranking points after first Indian Wells win

ATP Rankings: Sinner closes gap to No 1, Tien on verge of top 20, Tsitsipas out of top 50

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Q. Is there a level of pride to have come through in those kind of conditions? It looked pretty brutal out there with the heat. You see the fans with towels on their heads, covering up. I’m sure for you guys it couldn’t have been easy.

SINNER: Yeah, it was hot, it was warm, but it was not humid, so it makes a big difference. But, look, I have been here a week before the tournament started. Was very similar conditions as it was today. We put in very long days of practice. I felt very well prepared, so I was not having big issues with the weather and with the heat, which is very positive for me. But, yeah, look, it’s all part of the process we are trying to do and becoming the best possible athlete. We do definitely a lot of work in the gym and to play this level. So I’m very happy.

Q. Jannik, when you’re talking about sort of the rest of the season, I know you’re looking at the things you haven’t won yet. Obviously this tournament was one of them. How much do you sort of focus at all on your planning about Roland Garros and looking ahead to that? Or are you completely putting that out of your mind at this stage of the year?

SINNER: No, I mean, first of all, Roland Garros is very long way. There are big, big tournaments. I know what’s also on the line, you know, before that. I’m very focused already for Miami, as I said. Now, a couple of days, it’s good also to not think about tennis so much, but, you know, when you have this rhythm, I also don’t want to lose it, you know. It’s very important now. Miami, it’s going to be very important. That’s the last hard court event before the clay starts. And after, we are back in Europe, completely different conditions, clay, and you never know what’s happening there. I’m looking forward to it. We will try to perform in the best possible way and then we see how it goes.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz’s post match comments after his shock defeat at Indian Wells tell a big story

The post Everything Jannik Sinner said after Indian Wells title win as he sends message to Daniil Medvedev appeared first on Tennis365.

The standard set by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ensures that each and every one of their defeats is treated as a major shock, but we need to look beyond the scoreline to put some context on this story.

Alcaraz and Sinner have been the dominant players in men’s tennis for the last two years, winning all of the last nine Grand Slam tournaments between them and creating an aura that has left the chasing pack doubting whether they can beat the new ‘Big 2’.

That explains why Sinner’s defeat against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open created a shockwave through tennis and now we are seeing a similar reaction to Alcaraz’s straight sets loss against Daniil Medvedev at Indian Wells.

Yet if you watched each and every point of the match between world No 1 Alcaraz and former top-ranked player Medvedev, the end result was not a surprise.

You may argue Alcaraz was not at his best against Medvedev, but the reality may be that the Russian played at such a sustained high level that it ensured Alcaraz was amenable to do what he wanted in front of an Indian Wells crowd that was, thankfully, bigger than we have seen for most of the tournament.

More Tennis News

Indian Wells: Carlos Alcaraz addresses ‘target on my back’ after shock Daniil Medvedev loss

Carlos Alcaraz’s shock defeat opens door for Jannik Sinner to close in on world No 1 ranking

Medvedev produced a magnificent performance to beat Alcaraz and crucially, the former US Open champion believed he could beat the seven-time Grand Slam winner.

That is not always the case with many of the players who take on Alcaraz and Sinner, with the scars of mauling at the hands of the dominant champions in the men’s game diluting their belief.

“These two have set the bar so high and I’m fascinated to see who can challenge them,” Sky Sports presenter Gigi Salmon told Tennis365.

“There is so much scar tissue for the players ranked three and below that I think it may be one of the next generation that comes through and challenges Alcaraz and Sinner.

“It is going to be Jakub Mensik, who is like Dolph Lundgren in the Rocky film. He’s like he is just going to storm in and do this.

“Then I look at Jack Draper and he seemed to be getting close to that level to challenge Alcaraz and Sinner until he got his injury problems.

“Maybe there will be more young players coming through because I just feel the Zverevs, the Medvedevs the Rublevs, they have been beaten so often by Alcaraz and Sinner that maybe they don’t believe they can beat them anymore.

“So I think it needs to be one of the young guys to come through and steamroller them and in a way, I hope that doesn’t happen.

“I’m happy to see Alcaraz and Sinner play in all the big finals and anyone who says it’s boring is wrong. They bring such amazing tennis on court when they play each other and I just want to see more of it.”

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Alcaraz spoke about the pressure he feels as the star man in the men’s game and the expectations that are always hovering around him, but this first defeat of 2026 should not be treated as a disaster for the Spaniard.

Medvedev’s return of serve was back to its brilliant best and his confidence has also been boosted by his recent form, which included a win at the ATP 500 event in Dubai last month.

At his best, Medvedev can play tennis to push any player out of their comfort zone and the challenge for the 30-year-old has been maintaining those high levels of performance when as he lost his way in 2025.

This version of Medvedev will be back in the mix to win all the major titles and it was also a reminder to Alcaraz that it is not just Sinner who can take him out of his comfort zone.

This Alcaraz defeat should come with an asterisk against it as it was more a win for Medvedev than a loss for the world No 1, with his comments on the pressure he is feeling making for interesting reading.

“I said it when I played against [Arthur] Rinderknech [in Round 3], for example, that what I’m just getting tired a little bit is to get that target on my back all the time. As I said, I have never seen Daniil playing like this before.

“But I have to accept it. I have to accept it, keep it going. But after everything, as I said, I just realised what I had to do and what I have to think before every match and before every tournament, and it is just playing for me, playing for my team, and for my close people.

“I’m not thinking about I need to win, or I have to win. It’s just about chasing my goals, chasing what I just set up before every tournament.

“That’s my mindset, so I’m not getting tired of the people thinking I have to win every match.”

Dealing with the pressure Alcaraz’s has helped to create with the standards he has set is as big a challenge as anyone he will face on a tennis court, but losing against Medvedev in the form he showed in their Indian Wells semi-final is not a reason to panic.

READ NEXT: ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Indian Wells: Sinner gains points, Medvedev top 10, Draper & Tsitsipas drop

The post Carlos Alcaraz’s post match comments after his shock defeat at Indian Wells tell a big story appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s press conference ahead of his opening match at the Indian Wells Masters gave a compelling insight into why he is still flying around the world and competing at the top of the sport.

His 39th birthday is looming large in May, with the prospect of the Serbian legend playing until he is 40 a new phenomenon at the highest level of a sport as demanding as tennis.
His run to the Australian Open final in January that included an epic win against Jannik Sinner fuelled Djokovic’s belief that there is more glory left in him, even though he has not won a Grand Slam title since the 2023 US Open.

Yet his presence on the global sporting stages may no longer just be focused on winning tennis tournaments, as the sight of Djokovic on a tennis court has become the perfect advert for the brand he is building.

The arrival of lead adviser Mark Madden in Djokovic’s business empire has changed the focus for the Serbian over the past couple of years, with his regular appearances at major events and award ceremonies marking a clear effort to use his global fame to create a new era of success.

Major sponsorship deals already in place will continue long after Djokovic finishes playing and his arrival in Indian Wells coincided with the release of his new wearable infrared fabric that stimulates circulation and accelerates recovery at the cellular level.

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This will be worn on his arm during practice and in matches, with Djokovic keen to speak about the importance of his newest product and how his continued presence in tennis is vital to promoting it.

“I’m just proud of that partnership, and it’s right down the alley that I’m the most comfortable with in terms of my passion, in terms of how I want to develop my brand and my businesses, my investments, wellness, longevity,” he told reporters.

“Health space is something I deeply care about, something that is also very authentic and close to me as I live it on a daily basis and try to be kind of a testament or an example of the products or the businesses or brands that I’m part of or partnering or setting up or launching.

“I think nowadays with so many products and companies and brands out there, it’s not easy to navigate what’s good and what’s authentic and original and what’s made or created or developed with high integrity.

“So I feel like one of the best ways is to have an ambassador or partner or whoever that is a face that really embodies that. I try to do that. Not just because of the businesses but because I have done that throughout my entire career, and that’s actually, that kind of philosophy is the very reason why I’m still competing at this high level and being able to compete at the highest possible tennis professional level.”

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As we have seen with the incredible success of the On footwear brand following Roger Federer’s involvement as an investor and the rapid growth of the Castore clothing brand after they recruited Andy Murray as a brand ambassador, using the global popularity of an elite tennis player is a proven method to fast track the success of a product.

So even if Djokovic is not winning on the court as much as he once did, his appearances at events like Indian Wells or the upcoming Grand Slam at Roland Garros and Wimbledon ensure he is not losing off the court when he steps back into the glare of the public spotlight.

READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic makes ‘odd’ admission saying he has been struggling ‘the last couple of weeks’

The post Novak Djokovic has revealed a big reason why he is continuing his career despite recent setbacks appeared first on Tennis365.

Action in Indian Wells is reaching boiling point, and several key storylines are emerging from the first combined ATP-WTA 1000 event of 2026.

Saturday saw two intriguing men’s singles semi-finals take place, and all eyes are now on Sunday’s blockbuster women’s and men’s singles finals in Tennis Paradise.

Ahead of the final matches of the tournament, we look back at the key stories emerging from the past 24 hours in our Indian Wells roundup.

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Sinner joins historic club with scintillating semi-final win

World No 2 Jannik Sinner continued his fine Indian Wells form to reach his first final in Tennis Paradise, dispatching Alexander Zverev with ease on Saturday.

The Italian had won his last five meetings against world No 4 Zverev and extended his winning run over the German to six wins on the trot, defeating the German 6-2, 6-4 in the last four.

Victory for Sinner sees him reach his maiden Indian Wells final, and he joins an exclusive group of men to reach the final of all six Masters 1000 events on hard courts.

Read More: Jannik Sinner achieves a feat Carlos Alcaraz can’t match as he reaches Indian Wells final

Alcaraz stunned by Medvedev as world No 1 lead set to close

Carlos Alcaraz’s hopes of extending his unbeaten start to 2026 were ended in a surprise loss to world No 11 Daniil Medvedev on Saturday.

Medvedev had lost his last four matches to Alcaraz and had twice fallen to the Spaniard in the final of this event, though he impressed in a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over the world No 1 in the semi-final.

The Russian will now face Sinner in the final, with a first Indian Wells title at stake for both men.

With Alcaraz only able to match his points from last year, his lead as the world No 1 is now guaranteed to shrink.

Read More: Carlos Alcaraz’s shock defeat opens door for Jannik Sinner to close in on world No 1 ranking

Does Rybakina hold a key advantage over Sabalenka?

Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka are set to do battle in a blockbuster women’s singles final that, for some, seems too close to call.

However, is it Rybakina — who will rise to world No 2 on Monday, regardless of Sunday’s result — who holds the advantage heading into this showdown?

While world No 1 Sabalenka holds a narrow 8-7 lead in their overall head-to-head, the Kazakh has fared better when the two meet in the championship match of an event.

Read More: The surprising final statistic that gives Elena Rybakina an edge over Aryna Sabalenka ahead of Indian Wells meeting

Swiatek breaks silence after ‘tough’ exit

Iga Swiatek has posted on social media for the first time since her shock Indian Wells quarter-final exit to ninth seed Elina Svitolina.

Swiatek was beaten 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 by the Ukrainian in the last eight and was unable to reach her fifth consecutive semi-final in Indian Wells, falling to an opponent she had beaten in four of their five previous meetings.

The Pole, who will drop to world No 3 next week, will look to rediscover her best form in Miami Open action next week.

Read More: Iga Swiatek breaks silence with candid message after ‘tough’ Indian Wells Open exit

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The post Alcaraz stunned as Sinner gains ground, Rybakina’s advantage, Swiatek breaks silence – Indian Wells roundup appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has claimed that there is a “target” constantly on his back after tasting his first defeat of the season against Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells semi-final.

World No 1 Alcaraz had lifted the Australian Open and Qatar Open titles to start his 2026 season, and had dropped just one set on his way to a fifth straight semi-final showing in Tennis Paradise.

The Spaniard had beaten 11th seed Medvedev in back-to-back Indian Wells finals in 2023 and 2024, and held an overall 6-2 lead in their head-to-head heading into this latest contest, though he was unable to match a sublime performance from the resurgent Russian on Saturday.

Former world No 1 Medvedev looked by far and away the most comfortable in hot and gruelling conditions in the desert, and sealed a hugely impressive 6-3, 7-6(3) victory, booking a final against world No 2 Jannik Sinner.

It was one of Medvedev’s strongest performances in recent seasons, with the former US Open champion looking close to his best after challenging form in 2024 and 2025.

However, defeat for Alcaraz snapped his 16-match winning run and saw him taste defeat in the Indian Wells semi-final for the second straight season.

The Spaniard has a commanding lead at the top of the ATP Rankings and has been the dominant player in the men’s game over the past twelve months.

But, speaking in his post-match press conference on Saturday, the 22-year-old revealed he was still adjusting to life as the most targeted player on tour.

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He said: “I said it when I played against [Arthur] Rinderknech [in Round 3], for example, that what I’m just getting tired a little bit is to get that target on my back all the time. As I said, I have never seen Daniil playing like this before.

“But I have to accept it. I have to accept it, keep it going. But after everything, as I said, I just realised what I had to do and what I have to think before every match and before every tournament, and it is just playing for me, playing for my team, and for my close people.

“I’m not thinking about I need to win, or I have to win. It’s just about chasing my goals, chasing what I just set up before every tournament.

“That’s my mindset, so I’m not getting tired of the people thinking I have to win every match.”

Medvedev’s win against Alcaraz not only snapped the Spaniard’s unbeaten start to 2026, and it also snapped his own four-match losing streak against the world No 1.

The Russian had played well across his Indian Wells campaign heading into this match, though level he produced to beat Alcaraz on Sunday was arguably a step ahead of his quarter-final performance over Jack Draper.

Alcaraz joked after his third-round three-set win over 26th seed Rinderknech that he was having to play Roger Federer in every match, and admitted that he was still getting used to players raising their level when they faced him.

“Well, I mean, I’m just a little bit disappointed right now, but at the same time, I have to see the good things about this loss,” added the world No 1.

“It is about the people and the players think that they need to play like this level if they want to beat me. So at some point, it’s going to my favour in some ways.

“But obviously I have been playing great tennis. And, you know, I just show the players and show the people that if they want to beat me, they have to play at his best level one hour and a half, two hours in every match.

“So I feel good that way, but at the same time, when they play, like, at this level, it feels not that good.

“You know, I just have to accept it and keep it going, and from now on know that all the people are going to play like this, and I have to be ready for that.”

Alcaraz is set to return to action at the Miami Open next week, in the second half of the ‘Sunshine Double’ events in the US.

He memorably lifted his first Masters 1000 title at the tournament back in 2022, though he was stunned by David Goffin in the second round twelve months ago.

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Read Next: Tim Henman gives his verdict on female players competing in five-set matches at Grand Slams

The post Indian Wells: Carlos Alcaraz addresses ‘target on my back’ after shock Daniil Medvedev loss appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz’s remarkable unbeaten run in 2026 came to a comprehensive win as he was beaten 6-3, 7-6(3) by Daniil Medvedev in a high-quality Indian Wells semi-final.

Medvedev’s revival has been one of the stories bubbling under the surface in the men’s game over the last few weeks, but now his return to the top table of the game has been confirmed with a big win against Alcaraz.

The Russian’s flat hitting and impressive length on his ground shots knocked Alcaraz off balance and when the Spaniard threatened a revival in the second set, Medvedev maintained his level of consistency to get over the winning line as he played a great tie-break.

Alcaraz smiled and waved to the crowd as he left the court and told Medvedev it was a ‘great match’ as the duo exchanged pleasantries at the net after the match.

This win ensured former world No 1 Medvedev has reached an ATP Masters 1000 final without conceding a set for the third time in his career after Montreal and Shanghai in 2019.

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“The first set was a super high level from me,” Medvedev told Sky Sports.

“In the second set, he was the better player, but I managed to stay in there and managed to play well in the big points and I’m super happy to come through.

“I feel like I managed to find a bit of rhythm on my serve that was bothering him a little bit and that gave me confidence to understand he was struggling a bit on return of serve. It feels great to come through.”

Medvedev’s revival comes after he opted to change his coaching team following a slump in form in 2025, with Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke having a hugely positive impact since they joined his camp.

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“They say you need to change your coach every few years and it is working,” said Medvedev.

“It’s just different. At this time of last year when I decided to do it, I needed something different, and it’s been working great.

“Thomas is a great coach. Rohan, as well. I needed something new and this was it.”

This win fired Medvedev back into the top 10 of the ATP Rankings and while this defeat will not have a negative effect on his ranking as he matches his run to the semi-finals at Indian Wells a year ago, the defeat does open the door for Jannik Sinner to trim his lead at the top of the ATP Rankings in Sunday’s final against Medvedev.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner achieves a feat Carlos Alcaraz can’t match as he reaches Indian Wells final

The post Carlos Alcaraz’s shock defeat opens door for Jannik Sinner to close in on world No 1 ranking appeared first on Tennis365.

Tim Henman lent his support to Jack Draper after a controversial Indian Wells exit and said the now British No 2 was “definitely on the way back” following a lengthy injury.

Draper losing ranking points always seemed likely given his victory here last season and his relative short return from an arm injury but he would have still been disappointed with the manner of his exit which came via a controversial hindrance call.

Reflecting on the exit, Henman said there was plenty to be positive about even if he lost the British No 1 spot to Cam Norrie.

“Emotionally and physically it was a quick turnaround from his win against Djokovic. Jack has not played a great deal of tennis. It’s only his second tournament back and his seventh match back and he’s had a great tournament.

“To get these three wins under his belt there’s so many things to be positive about and it looks like he’s held up physically from his troublesome arm, which has been the problem. He can hopefully build in Miami now.”

“He’s back playing on the tour but at the level where he was 12 months ago winning the title here – he’s still just got to keep building. Form is temporary, class is permanent. Jack is definitely on the way back!”

Draper did not dwell on the controversial call, stating at the net that he thought it was “fair” and then going on to say Daniil Medvedev was the deserved winner.

“First of all, Daniil was the stronger player fair and square,” Draper told BBC Sport. “It’s a difficult situation for the ref. I don’t think I did enough to hinder him, but at the end of the day I did make a slight thing with my hands.

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“I think he’s played the rules quite well. The rally carried on and I was able to win the point so I don’t think I should have lost the point. I think it’s pretty harsh.

“If someone was to say that I was going to be here in the quarter-finals after what I’ve been through the last nine months – only myself, and my family and my team know how much it affected me – that was enough for me.

“Today I ran out of steam and I wasn’t able to compete again a day later with one of the best players in the world, and that’s just totally normal.”

There is little rest for Draper who now heads to Florida for the Miami Open.

Read next: Iga Swiatek breaks silence with candid message after ‘tough’ Indian Wells Open exit

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Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina will meet on Sunday to contest the Indian Wells final but the stats are surprisingly one-sided in their previous title-winning matches.

World No 1 Sabalenka is the favourite heading into the clash but she surprisingly has often failed to get the best of her Kazakhstani counterpart when it comes to finals.

The two have met in five finals previously and of those, it is Rybakina who has walked away with the trophy.

Their first final meeting at the 2023 Australian Open was the only time Sabalenka has defeated her future opponent and since then, Rybakina has triumphed at 2023 Indian Wells, 2024 Brisbane, 2025 WTA Finals and the Australian Open earlier this year.

That very statistic was put to Rybakina who insisted she was not focusing on things like that.

“Honestly, I haven’t thought about any statistics,” she said following her semi-final victory over Elina Svitolina. “I lost to her in an Australian Open final, not this year, but in 2023, but I always say the same thing: every match is different.

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“Every day is different, every tournament. You can play well one day and then wake up the next and not feel your best. The key is always finding a way. We know each other very well in terms of our game; it’s very much about physicality, but here the ball is very heavy and the rallies are a bit longer than on other hard courts, where everything tends to be a bit faster.

“It will be a difficult match for both of us. We’ll try to serve well and put pressure on each other, so we’ll see what happens.”

As well as attempting to deny Sabalenka an Indian Wells win, Rybakina said she was also gunning for her World No 1 status, something she wanted to achieve by the end of the year.

“It’s an achievement for Aryna, of course. It’s not easy to stay as world number one for so long; you have to be very consistent. She’s shown the great tennis she has over these last two years, so, of course, my goal is to climb even higher in the rankings and one day achieve that number one position.

“I know I still have a lot of work ahead of me, although it also depends on what the other players do. That’s definitely my biggest goal, my next objective. I’ll try to do it this year; I hope it happens.”

Read next: Sinner backed to end Alcaraz streak, Sabalenka’s message, Eala a big winner – Indian Wells Open roundup

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