Carlos Alcaraz denied Federer record after Daniil Medvedev loss, yet Spaniard’s streak still eclipses Djokovic, Nadal

Carlos Alcaraz suffered his first defeat in 2026 as he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals of the 2016 ATP Indian Wells on Saturday. And with the defeat his streak of victories on outside hard courts came to an end as he missed the opportunity to topple the legendary Roger Federer.

Alcaraz was outdone by a brilliant Medvedev at Indian Wells as his phenomenal start to 2026 came to a halt. The Spaniard, who claimed his maiden Australian Open title in January to complete a record career grand slam, suffered his first loss after 16 straight wins.

In addition, the loss also brought to an end his streak on outdoor hard courts, which comprised 34 wins since his defeat to David Goffin in Miami last year. The Murcian player has since racked up victories in Cincinnati, the US Open, Tokyo, and Doha, and four wins in the Californian desert, before losing to Medvedev at 'Tennis Paradise'.

The streak places him third in the all-time list of most consecutive wins on the surface after Jimmy Connors (55) and Federer, who had 46 wins between 2005 and 2006. However, Alcaraz does stand behind two of the other Big Three members - Novak Djokovic (33 consecutive wins in 2011) and Rafael Nadal (26 consecutive wins in 2013). While the streak puts him at par with Pete Sampras, who had notched up the same number in 1994, he also stands ahead of the legendary Rod Laver (33 wins between 1974 and 1975).

Medvedev will be up against second-seeded Jannik Sinner of Italy. Sinner made quick work of Alexander Zverev, beating him 6-2, 6-4 in 1 hour, 23 minutes. Sinner notched six aces against the fourth-seeded.

Neither Medvedev nor Sinner has dropped a set yet in this tournament. Sinner has won his last three matches against Medvedev, including in the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2024.