The women's title in California went to Kazakhstan's Russian-born Elena Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion, who beat Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to earn her first WTA (Women's Tennis Association) 1000 title.

Alcaraz needed only one hour 11 minutes to secure a 6-3, 6-2 victory in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, securing his third ATP Tour Masters 1000 title.

The result moved him to the top of the Association of Tennis Professionals rankings ahead of Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who was ineligible to play under United States restrictions over visitors who have not received a COVID-19 inoculation

Djokovic will also miss this week's Miami Open, where Alcaraz is defending champion.

"It feels amazing to lift the trophy here, to recover the number one," Alcaraz, who became the youngest ever world number one last season, when he won the US Open, said.

"I would say this has been the perfect tournament."

Alcaraz broke Russian Medvedev early in the opening set to open up a 3-0 lead and never looked like relinquishing his grip on the match.

He won the first 10 points of the second set to move into a 4-0 lead, before sealing victory without facing a break point.

"Daniil obviously didn't play at his best level, but I'm very happy for my performance and how I played this tournament," said Alcaraz.

"I expected a tougher match. Against him is always a tactic match, and I did perfect today. That's why it looks easy - but it wasn't."

Alcaraz is only the second player after compatriot Rafael Nadal to win at least three ATP Masters 1000 titles as a teenager having won in Miami and Madrid last year.

He lost the world number one spot in January after Djokovic's triumph at the Australian Open, which Alcaraz missed because of injury.

It was Medvedev's first defeat in 19 matches – he had arrived in the US having won the Rotterdam, Doha and Dubai titles.

The Russian appeared hampered by an ankle injury sustained in his fourth-round win over Alexander Zverev as well as a split thumb sustained in the quarter-finals against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

"Why didn't I play my best?" said Medvedev.

"I don't know.

"Maybe it was his ball.

“Maybe it was the wind.

“The ankle, the thumb, the tennis, wind, whatever.

“But we almost made it.

“I will try to be better next time."

 Rybakina's 7-6, 6-4 win over the world number two women's player avenged the defeat she has suffered at the hands of her Belarusian opponent in this year's Australian Open final. 

Having reached the final with a victory over Poland's defending champion and world number one Iga Swiatek, Rybakina - who switched allegiance to Kazakhstan in 2018 after being offered financial support - needed six set points before she could edge ahead in a lengthy tie-break.

In the second set she broke Sabalenka's serve to love in the first game and went a double break up at 5-2 only for her opponent to break back in the next game.

But she served out the victory on her first match point and has now risen to a career-high position of seventh in the world rankings.