Daniil Medvedev could be considered as one of the unluckiest tennis players in recent years. Having lost multiple times in finals and semi-finals of major events, he has missed out on more titles than anybody and this also includes the Miami Open 2024 where he again lost to Jannik Sinner. But Medvedev did not seem to take a well a question on his approach and playing style and dragged Carlos Alcaraz needlessly into the conversation.
Daniil Medvedev lost to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the Miami Open, that too in a humiliating manner. He lost 1-6, 2-6 against Sinner, which became one of the worst losses in Medvedev’s career. The last time he lost so badly was a 0-6, 3-6 loss to Rafael Nadal at the 2019 ATP Finals. Post that, here’s what he said about Carlos Alcaraz in the post-match press conference.
“People want to see beautiful shots, that’s why Alcaraz quickly got a lot of fans. I could do it too but I don’t think I would have the same results. And the result is more important to me than the aesthetic of shots,” said Medvedev.
Even the X handle ‘We Are Tennis’ that shared it, wrote “Really, Daniil?” followed with a smiley. This comment didn’t go down well with tennis fans, who believed that the Russian player was just frustrated at Alcaraz for achieving so much success at such an early age. Medvedev just tried to say why he believes Alcaraz has so many fans due to his unreal shots and that if he tried the same he would fail. But fans were not happy with how he conveyed that thought, as it looks like a cheap shot at Alcaraz.
Fans are mocking Medvedev for coming up with such a comment after being thrashed by Sinner in an important match. They believe he is hiding from his defeat and coming up with such excuses. Although Alcaraz didn’t fare well at this Miami Open too, failing to complete the Sunshine Double, he has won 2 Grand Slams and 5 ATP 1000 Masters events in his career so far. And he is only 20 years old.
Whereas Medvedev, at age 28, has won only 1 Grand Slam (2021 US Open) and 6 ATP 1000 Masters titles. Therefore, he is unnecessarily taking a dig at Alcaraz.
In response to Medvedev’s remark, 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios simply gave a one-word reply.
Kyrgios wrote, “Wild.”
Kyrgios, who is renowned as the ‘Bad Boy’ of tennis, and was always known for his crazy antics on the court, found Medvedev’s comment very interesting, to say the least. He didn’t further expound on his comment, but safe to say, given that he always loved antics and trick shots, Kyrgios wasn’t exactly in agreement with Medvedev’s remark.
How did the 2024 Miami Open loss affect Daniil Medvedev?
Daniil Medvedev currently sits at No.4 in the ATP World Rankings with 7765 points. His semi-final loss to Sinner just cost him 600 ATP points. Medvedev might remain at the same point despite the loss of points, whereas Carlos Alcaraz might drop to No.3 from No.2. His points are currently at 8805, but if Sinner wins the Miami Open, he will move to No.2. Sinner’s points are at 8310 at the time of writing this report.
Medvedev’s comment on Alcaraz might spice up their rivalry even further in the future. The duo famously played each other a few weeks ago at the Indian Wells 2024 Final. They were also each other’s opponents at last year’s Indian Wells Final. On both occasions, Alcaraz defeated Medvedev.
And now, with this comment hurled at him, the 20-year-old Spaniard will be more motivated than ever to beat Medvedev.
