Daniil Medvedev eyes historic milestone only Federer and Djokovic have achieved

Despite a difficult start to the year, Daniil Medvedev is aiming for a milestone in Indian Wells that would put him on par with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. The former world No. 1 made his tournament debut on Friday with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory over China’s Yunchaokete Bu, beginning to find his rhythm again after a rough start to the season.

The Russian arrived at Tennis Paradise with an 8-5 record, having suffered several surprising defeats, including a second-round loss at the Australian Open to Learner Tien, who was outside the top 100 at the time.

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Chasing history on hard courts

Although he has faced challenges over the past year, Medvedev remains one of the best hardcourt players of his generation. In Indian Wells, he has the chance to achieve a feat that only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have accomplished at ATP Masters 1000 events on hard courts.

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Federer claimed five Indian Wells titles and finished runner-up four times, ending his career at the tournament with a 66-13 record (84%). Alongside the Madrid Open, it remains his most successful Masters 1000 event in terms of win percentage. Across all hardcourt Masters tournaments, Federer accumulated 268 wins and lifted 24 of his 28 Masters titles on the surface.

Djokovic, meanwhile, also holds five Indian Wells titles, along with one runner-up finish. He has won 29 hardcourt Masters titles and recorded 272 victories at Masters events on the surface.

While Medvedev has yet to match the trophy hauls of Federer and Djokovic, his consistency at hardcourt Masters tournaments around the world stands out.

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Medvedev currently holds six Masters 1000 titles, five of them on hard courts. Indian Wells is the only hardcourt Masters event missing from his collection, meaning a title here would complete his set.

A victory in Tennis Paradise would see him add Indian Wells to his previous hardcourt Masters titles: Cincinnati Open (2019), Shanghai (2019), Paris-Bercy (2020), Canadian Open (2021), and Miami Open (2023). The 28-year-old Russian has reached the Indian Wells final in both 2023 and 2024, amassing a 17-7 record at the event (71%).

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