World number two Jannik Sinner praised Daniil Medvedev for finding his best form again ahead of their Indian Wells final on Sunday, highlighting the Russian’s serving and return game in a strong start to the season.

Speaking after his 6-2, 6-4 win over Alexander Zverev, and before Medvedev secured a spot in the final by defeating world number one Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner noted that the 2021 US Open champion had become markedly more aggressive this year.

Medvedev endured a difficult 2025 season, failing to progress beyond the second round at any Grand Slam and winning only one title in Almaty. However, he has bounced back this year, capturing trophies in Brisbane and Dubai.

“He’s back to a very high level. Very big serve, I feel like. He’s returning very well, very deep,” Sinner told reporters.

“Everyone’s trying to be slightly more aggressive. Sascha [Zverev] tried to be more aggressive. He didn’t play his best today, but everyone is trying to push.”

Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev have met 15 times in their careers, with the Italian holding a narrow 8-7 edge in their head-to-head.

Their upcoming clash will be their first since the 2024 season-ending ATP Finals, where Sinner secured his third consecutive victory over the 30-year-old Russian.

“Daniil has found a very good balance on court, winning the Dubai title, coming here, and posting strong results,” Sinner said.
“But also, it’s been quite a while since we last played. So let’s see what happens.”

Reaching his first final in the Californian desert, Sinner is chasing his first title of the year.

“Of course, the next match will be a very tough test, but I’m extremely happy,” he added. “We’ve improved throughout the week in this tournament, and for me, that was the most important part.”