'I Have Never Seen...'! Alcaraz Shocked By Medvedev's 'Unreal' Effort

Last Updated:March 15, 2026, 14:44 IST

Medvedev defeated Alcaraz 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), handing the Spaniard his first loss of the season after 16 consecutive wins.

Carlos Alcaraz stated that it wasn’t the pressure to maintain his perfect start to 2026, but the excellent performance from Daniil Medvedev, that led to his exit from the Indian Wells semi-finals on Saturday.

Medvedev, a former world number one now ranked 11th, defeated Alcaraz 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), handing the Spaniard his first loss of the season after 16 consecutive wins.

However, the 22-year-old, who followed his Australian Open victory with a title in Qatar, said the winning streak was far from his mind.

“I’m not thinking about it at all," Alcaraz mentioned, emphasizing that his biggest challenge these days is that every opponent seems to elevate their game against him.

After losing a first-set tiebreaker on the way to his victory over 28th-ranked Arthur Rinderknech on Monday, Alcaraz joked that it felt like he was playing Roger Federer in every match.

“Sometimes it just feels like they’re playing at an insane level," he said regarding those attempting to dethrone him.

“What I’m a little tired of is having that target on my back all the time," added Alcaraz, noting that Medvedev played at a higher level than he had previously seen from the Russian.

“He was playing unreal, I’ve got to say," Alcaraz commented. “I have never seen Daniil play like this before."

Alcaraz understands it’s the price of excellence and tries to ignore the expectations.

“I have to accept it," he said. “But after everything, I have realised what I need to do and what I have to think about before every match and tournament. It’s just about playing for me, my team, and my close people.

“I’m not thinking about needing to win or having to win.

“It’s about chasing my goals and what I set up before every tournament. That’s my mindset, so I’m not getting tired of people thinking I have to win every match."

News sports tennis 'I Have Never Seen...'! Alcaraz Shocked By Medvedev's 'Unreal' Effort

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