Medvedev on the Sinner-Alcaraz Era: Never Underestimate the Arrival of a Third Player

On August 8, 2025, 29-year-old Russian tennis star Daniil Medvedev shared his insights in an exclusive interview with the ATP website, discussing the changes in the current men's tennis landscape. As one of the few players to defeat both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in Grand Slam events, his views carry significant weight.

Looking back on his career, Medvedev has been a hallmark of the new generation. After being overshadowed by the "Big Three" for many years, he ended Novak Djokovic's quest for a calendar Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open, and six months later became the first player outside the "Big Four" to reach the top of the ATP rankings since 2004.

However, to be frank, this was a result of Djokovic being deported from Australia and missing the Australian Open, combined with the UK restricting the entry of two Russian players, which led the ATP to exclude that year's Wimbledon from ranking points. Due to these dual factors, Djokovic lost 2000 points from the Australian Open, and the championship points from Wimbledon did not count.

But historical data does not note any reasons!

Yet, the 2024-2025 season saw a dramatic shift in the tennis world, with the "Big Three" era swiftly replaced by the rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz, who have claimed the last seven Grand Slam titles. Now 29, Medvedev understands he cannot wait for his opponents to falter and is determined to break the impending monopoly of Grand Slam titles by these two players in the upcoming season.

Medvedev candidly stated:

"Jannik and Carlos are performing phenomenally; they are the top players right now, far exceeding others. But never underestimate the challengers coming up."

"People often discuss 'why no one can get close to them,' but think about when Carlos entered the tour at 17; everyone was amazed at how his shot power seemed unattainable. When he plays near flawlessly—this happens frequently—his opponents have no chance, and Sinner is the same; his strength is formidable."

As one of the most tactically astute players on the tour, Medvedev has always had a keen and objective judgment of the situation. He continues to study the sport with a student’s mindset, having established himself through constant adaptation and analysis during what is arguably the toughest era in men's tennis. Now watching Sinner and Alcaraz take center stage, he is more aware than anyone of how rapidly the landscape changes.

He said:

"I remember the era of Roger (Federer) and Rafa (Nadal); when Nadal was 20 or 21, he already had two or three French Open titles. When he first won Wimbledon—his first non-French Open Grand Slam—everyone thought the Grand Slams would be divided between them, but then that Serbian guy who appeared a bit later (Djokovic) won more titles than both of them."

Clearly, Medvedev implies that one should not underestimate the emergence of a third player—just like Djokovic!

In Medvedev's six Grand Slam final appearances (1 win and 5 losses), he faced Djokovic three times and Nadal twice, with his most recent match being against Sinner at last year's Australian Open. Even so, he remains one of the only three players to have defeated both Sinner and Alcaraz in Grand Slam events—at the 2024 Wimbledon, he triumphed over Sinner in five sets; at the 2023 US Open semi-finals, he defeated Alcaraz.

The year 2025 poses numerous challenges for Medvedev. As a player who reached Grand Slam finals twice in the past two years, he exited in the second round of the Grand Slam events in Melbourne, Paris, and London this year. Regarding this, Medvedev chuckled and said:

"Interestingly, many people ask me about Sinner and Alcaraz, but this year I didn't even face them in the Grand Slams because I performed too poorly."

"This is actually a 'good question' because I long to return to the stage they are on—the fourth round or quarterfinals. I don’t think it’s that difficult, as I’ve done it against Djokovic."

2021 Australian Open

2021 US Open

At the 2021 Australian Open, Medvedev was seen as the happiest runner-up in Grand Slam history. That same year at the US Open, he finally defeated Djokovic, snatching the Grand Slam trophy from him.

Deep down, Medvedev feels proud. Djokovic was once considered a "god" among players of their generation. Even the "outspoken" Kyrgios ultimately had to hold him in high regard.

Medvedev understands that the challenges posed by the new generation are uniquely styled. His strength in counterattacking groundstrokes can neutralize opponents' speed and suppress aggressive players, but Sinner and Alcaraz possess superior athleticism and raw power, often able to break through all defenses, including his. However, he firmly believes that these opponents are not invincible.

"They are indeed strong, but they also have their losses. For instance, Sinner lost to Sascha (Zverev) at the Halle tournament, where Zverev eventually won; less than a year ago, Carlos lost to Botic (van de Zandschulp). Every time I face them, I must give my all to win."

In the 2025 season, Medvedev has had few encounters with top players. Following a series of fluctuating results, the 2020 ATP Finals champion has dropped to 19th place in the live rankings for the ATP Turin Finals and is striving to qualify for the seventh consecutive year.

Entering the Cincinnati Open with a season record of 26 wins and 16 losses, Medvedev admits that the reasons for his inconsistent form are hard to pinpoint, but he is optimistic about his prospects on his favored hard court:

"Tennis is hard to predict; I could list ten reasons but can't distinguish the primary ones. My team and I have sat down to analyze: what areas can we improve? What changes can we make? We discussed several options, and we will try to implement them moving forward."

"From now until next year’s Miami Open is the hard court season; this is the most exciting phase of the year. I will give my all and enjoy the matches. This is an opportunity, and I want to treat it as a challenge to enhance my performance in major tournaments, progressing step by step."

Despite being 11 ranking spots away from the qualification line for the Turin Finals, Medvedev remains calm: "Aside from Carlos and Sinner, who are sure to qualify, and Sascha (Zverev), who leads in points, for others, Turin seems far off. For us, a few performances can determine our final fate. In previous years, my ranking was better at this time, but the gap isn’t significant now—if I reach the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event, I should qualify, so I just need to perform well."

Regardless, Medvedev and Zverev, who ultimately fell in the semifinals in Toronto, are both among the best of the '95 generation. We look forward to their resurgence and finding the key to overcoming the Sinner-Alcaraz duo.

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