Alcaraz ends Medvedev's winning streak to reach Vienna final

Carlos Alcaraz is through to the final of the Erste Bank Open. The second seed beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 7-6 in Saturday's first semi-final at the Wiener Stadthalle. That ended a seven-match winning streak for the Russian and gave Alcaraz his fifth tour-level final of 2026.

The match lasted 96 minutes. Alcaraz was efficient on return, converting three of the four break points he created, and he took the second-set tie-break comfortably to avoid a deciding set. Both sets followed a similar pattern, according to the ATP Tour's match report: an early exchange of breaks, then Alcaraz pulling away in the key return games.

Ending a hot streak

Medvedev came into the semi-final as the form player of the indoor swing. He won the title in Almaty and had not lost since. In Vienna he saved a match point against Cameron Norrie in the second round on his way to his 100th tour-level quarter-final, then beat Adrian Mannarino to secure his place at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Alcaraz said that context made the win more meaningful. "Beating someone like Daniil on an indoor court, after the run he was having, a lot of wins in a row, a lot of confidence, and that I was able to beat him is special," he said after the match.

Indoor courts have produced fewer finals for the Spaniard than other surfaces – according to Tennis Now, Vienna is only the third indoor final of his career – so a straight-sets win over one of the best indoor players of his generation is a useful sign ahead of the last two big events of the season.

A remarkable ATP 500 record

The win extends one of the most striking runs on tour. Alcaraz has won 25 consecutive matches at ATP 500 level since losing the 2025 Barcelona final, and he is 15-0 at the category this year, Tennis Now reports. Sunday's final in Vienna will be the 37th tour-level final of his career.

Zverev beats Griekspoor in Vienna to clinch World No. 1 for first time

His opponent will be either top seed Alexander Zverev, who clinched the World No. 1 ranking for the first time earlier this week, or fifth seed Alex de Minaur. That semi-final was still being played when Alcaraz came off court. The head-to-heads favour the Spaniard: he has won four of his last five meetings with Zverev and is 6-0 against De Minaur.

Paris and Turin on the horizon

Whatever happens on Sunday, both semi-finalists move straight on to the Rolex Paris Masters. In the Paris draw Alcaraz is seeded second with a first-round bye in the bottom half, so he and Zverev can only meet in the final there. Medvedev, seeded fourth, also has a first-round bye.

For Medvedev, the defeat ends a week that has already done its main job: his place in Turin is secure. For Alcaraz, a Vienna title would be a strong platform for the end of the season. The final at the Erste Bank Open is on Sunday, with Alcaraz looking to stay unbeaten in Vienna.