Their history at Indian Wells has been lopsided. They met in the finals in 2022 and 2024, and Medvedev failed to take a set in those matches. The slow hard courts in past editions allowed Alcaraz extra time to unleash his offense, and he made the most of it.

Medvedev sees reason for optimism this week. “I feel like the court is a bit faster since the two times I have played him,” Medvedev says. “The balls are different. So I feel like it’s a good chance to try to show my best tennis against him.”

There are concrete signs of form behind that statement. After a difficult 2025, Medvedev has returned with renewed momentum in 2026: he already has two titles this season and arrives having won his last eight matches. Along the way at this tournament he has beaten big hitters Jack Draper and Alex Michelsen.

“I feel like I’m playing great, very good tennis,” Medvedev says. “I never want to jump into conclusions like best tennis of my life or whatever. I’m playing very good.”

Alcaraz, meanwhile, remains relentless. He has won all 16 matches he has played in 2026 and has handled a series of challenges at Indian Wells, including wins over Arthur Rinderknech, Casper Ruud and Cam Norrie. Given the recent head-to-head history at this venue and Alcaraz’s unbeaten run this year, he enters as the clear favorite.

The matchup will test whether Medvedev’s improved conditions and strong form this season are enough to alter the pattern established at Indian Wells, or whether Alcaraz continues his dominance on the slower hard courts that previously played to his strengths.

At the BNP Paribas Open, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz produced contrasting highlights during quarterfinal play, each moving one victory from their first meeting of 2026. Alcaraz arrived having beaten Sinner in the semifinal en route to his 2023 and 2024 titles here.

Sinner opened his day in the hot afternoon session, cruising past Learner Tien. After a midday practice and signing autographs, Jannik headed back inside. After closing out Tien, Sinner looked at his box and broke into a massive smile. That mood carried through when he later faced 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, a match the world No. 1 handled decisively.

Between court sessions Sinner spent time with media, visiting the Tennis Channel set for a chat with Prakash Amritraj.

Alcaraz staged his preparation in the evening, taking advantage of the golden hour for a solo practice. After wrapping with some serves, the 22-year-old instructed brother/coach Alvaro to help hand out signed souvenirs. The Spanish player had reason to be pleased: his victory extended a perfect 2026 start to 16-0.

Both players showed the combination of on-court authority and off-court engagement that has defined their runs at this event. Sinner mixed controlled aggression with a relaxed presence that included autograph sessions and visible delight in the stands. Alcaraz balanced focused practice with moments of interaction organized by his team.

With the semifinals complete, the path now points to a potential Sinner-Alcaraz showdown later in the tournament. Each arrives at that prospect on different rhythms from the same day: one smiling after two strong performances, the other glowing after a polished practice and another unblemished result in 2026.

Roger Federer has been added to Forbes magazine’s annual list of the world’s billionaires, with an estimated net worth of $1.1 billion. The total includes nearly $131 million in career prize money, the third-highest total in tennis behind Novak Djokovic ($189 million) and Rafael Nadal ($135 million).

Federer retired in September 2022 after 310 weeks ranked as the ATP world No. 1. Off the court he was the highest-paid tennis player for 16 consecutive years through his retirement; at his peak in 2020 he earned an estimated $106 million. Those figures were supported by long-term sponsorship deals with Uniqlo, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Lindt, Moët & Chandon and others.

Forbes attributes most of Federer’s post-retirement wealth to his early investment in Swiss sportswear company On. Federer reportedly bought a three percent stake in 2019 when the company was known as On Running and concentrated largely on running. He later worked with On to develop The Roger Pro shoe and helped steer the brand into tennis. On has since signed top players such as Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton to head-to-toe deals.

Federer’s business footprint also includes co-founding the Team8 management agency in 2013 with longtime agent Tony Godsick. The pair went on to create the Laver Cup, a competition that has grown into a sanctioned ATP Tour event and a profitable property.

Federer first crossed the billion-dollar threshold in August 2025, joining a small group of athletes who have reached that milestone, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, LeBron James and Tiger Woods. He is the second figure from tennis to be listed as a billionaire after Ion Țiriac, whose estimated net worth is $2.3 billion. Federer appears among a number of notable newcomers to the Forbes World Billionaires list, including James Cameron ($1.1 billion), Beyonce ($1 billion) and Dr. Dre ($1 billion).