Daniil Medvedev yet again failed to defend a title as the Russian was knocked out in early stages of the Shanghai Masters. This was soon after Medvedev lost the China Open final to Jannik Sinner. After his exit from the Shanghai Masters, in a post match conference, Medvedev heaped praise on Alcaraz and declared him as the favorite to win the title.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are considered as the next superstars of tennis. The duo is constantly getting compared to one another, given their impressive performances this season. While Alcaraz is yet to win a trophy after his Wimbledon triumph, Sinner won the recently-concluded China Open. When asked to choose between the two, Medvedev leaned towards Alcaraz.
Daniil Medvedev makes tall Carlos Alcaraz claim
Talking to the media after his Shanghai Masters match recently, Daniil Medvedev suggested that Carlos Alcaraz is a tougher player to beat in any tournament and not Jannik Sinner. The Russian also went on boldly compare Alcaraz’s game to that of greats, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Medvedev declared that Alcaraz and Djokovic are the two biggest contenders for every tournament they compete in.
“Tough to say. I would say, in general, if we talk like about shape right now, Carlos is just, at the moment, he’s, let’s say, the player like Novak, Rafa were before. Every time he’s in the tournament he’s the biggest, or when Novak is there, one of the two biggest contenders for the title.”
While it is evident that Medvedev admires Alcaraz but there is a theory circulating amongst fans that the Russian avoided taking Sinner’s name because of their recent final. Medvedev was beaten across two tiebreaks by the Italian, who managed a first-ever career win against the Russian. The World No.3 still leads Sinner by 6-1. On the other hand, Alcaraz and Medvedev are tied at 2-2, with the latter last winning the US Open 2023 semifinal.
The comment could fuel the rivalry further between Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner. Although the players seemed to be cordial with each other after the final. The duo is expected to clash in the Paris Masters or the ATP Finals next. It remains to be seen whether Sinner responds to the comment.
Alcaraz, Medvedev, Sinner to play in ATP Finals
As the Asian swing comes to a close, Alcaraz, Medvedev and Sinner have all clinched a spot in the prestigious ATP Finals 2023 in Turin, apart from Djokovic. A lot would also ride on the Paris Masters to determine who is the favourite amongst the three for winning the ATP Finals. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are all set to make their debuts in the competition, while Daniil Medvedev has won the event once already in his career.
If the rankings remain the same, then it is likely that Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev would be placed in the same group. On the other hand, Jannik Sinner could have a daunting task of taking on Novak Djokovic in the other group’s round-robin match itself.
