Medvedev sent me this text a few months ago:

For context, the former World No. 1 and Grand Slam champion lost in the first round at every. single. slam. last year. Oof. So his run to the Indian Wells final is proof that hard work pays off manifesting works girl.

In all seriousness, I'm stoked for Daniil. It’s great to see him back in the mix, and I hope there’s more to come. He’s one of the few that have the mental and physical toughness to go toe-to-toe with Sincaraz.

Now let’s get into the final.

The story of this match starts with Medvedev's backhand. It was absolutely cookin’.

His average backhand speed clocked in at 74 mph — up 4 mph from his 52-week average. That's a significant jump, and it wasn't random. Meddy, who has now lost 9 out of the last 10 times against Sinner, knows that if he leaves any ball hangin’, Sinner will destroy it. So he had to take some more risk and up his groundstroke speed to avoid (yet again) getting blown off the court.

It also helped that the Indian Wells courts played a bit faster this year than normal — and the thin desert air helps the ball travel faster. So his risk had adequate reward, and is one reason why he was close to taking the title.

Sinner was untouchable on serve in the final. Bot level good. And while I’d like to think I could summarize it well, writer/coach Hugh Clarke did it best:

“He was placing his first serve 7 centimeters closer to the lines than his average. That's the width of an apple. But at 124 mph, those marginal gains compound fast:

Yes, Hugh Clarke = big numbers guy.

But the numbers don’t lie. Sinner’s serve could have won Olympic gold in archery on Sunday, and carried him to victory.

Volleys are to Medvedev, as peanuts are to your nephew Charlie.

A bad time.

6-6 in the first set. Meddy’s up 5-4 in the breaker and Sinner hits a shitty drop shot. Meddy gets there with time to spare. He hits a solid approach shot up the line and Sinner hits a terribly high passing shot right to Meddy’s forehand volley.

But all of Meddy’s volley neurons stop, look at each other, and go “not it!”

And the ball goes flying by for a Sinner winner.

The set slipped away from there.

It would be a little dramatic to say that one point cost him the match. But in a 7-6, 7-6 final, every point in a tiebreak carries enormous weight. And Medvedev's discomfort (understatement) at the net showed up at the worst possible time.

Even with the loss, I hope I’m right in saying that the Octopus is so back. He looked more like his 2021 self the past two weeks. And that’s not just good for him, it’s good for the game.

This legendary coach was one of the lowest ranked players to ever win Indian Wells (ranked 143 at the time). Who was it?

A. Larry Stefanki

B. Brad Gilbert

C. Paul Annacone

D. Michael Russell

Find out at the bottom!

“When I was growing up, my coaches never really liked my attitude. They’d say you look like you don’t care. So I tried to give fake fist pumps and act all fired up. But it never worked for me. It was a complete waste of energy.

Now it’s funny. I get so many compliments like “Oh you’re so calm” or “I love your presence on court.”

I love this quote because it’s a reminder to coaches everywhere that there’s no perfect on-court attitude. You might hate Kyrgios, but he got to 13 in the world and a slam final as an absolute hot head.

Everyone is different, and it’s the job of the coach to help their player understand what works for them — and what helps them manage their energy for a 2-5 hour roller coaster tennis match.

Some of the best tennis content I found on the internet this week…

🤣 These Sam Querrey-narrated highlight videos always crack me up. “Little tummy” at the end has me dead

🦵 How much knee bend should you have on your serve?

💍 Sabalenka on if playing with her (huge) engagement ring is distracting

A. Larry Stefanki

For those that don’t know Stefanki, he coached multiple World No. 1s and grand slam champs: McEnroe, Rios, Kafelnikov, Roddick, to flex a few. His 1985 win at Indian Wells was also special because he trained at La Quinta Resort & Club, where the tournament was held.

Saw this pop up in the group chat during the Sinner vs. Medvedev final. I agree on both fronts 😂