“Even Stronger Than a Grand Slam”: Daniil Medvedev Unsure of Final With Carlos Alcaraz at China Open

As the tennis season reaches its climax, all eyes shift towards the China Open. This year, the China Open has a tough draw filled with top players which has left Daniil Medvedev in awe. The Russian has suggested that the China Open will be as competitive as a Grand Slam due to big players competing in it. There is a possible final between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev on the cards, but the Russian is not taking anything for granted.

Medvedev and Alcaraz are on the different sides of the draw as the top-seeded players in the competition. Although his draw is filled with tricky opponents, Medvedev would fancy his chances to make it to the finals of the tournament after his good run at the US Open 2023.

Medvedev feels that the China Open could be tougher than a Grand Slam

Daniil Medvedev will make his China Open debut, as the competition is back on the tennis calendar for the first time since 2019. Eight of the top 10 ranked players in the world are participating in the event, making it a treat for the tennis fans. Casper Ruud, Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Andrey Rublev, Alexander Zverev and Holger Rune are all set to challenge Medvedev and Alcaraz for the title.

Daniil Medvedev has a tricky set of fixtures to look forward even as he beat American star Tommy Paul in the first round of the competition. He faces Alex De Minaur in the second round. Speaking to the media, Medvedev was quick to admit his surprise with the quality of the draw and even compared it to a Grand Slam.  The 27-year-old also predicted in a press conference that a lot of the seeded players will struggle in the opening rounds.

“As I said, so many good players. It’s tough. It’s like a Masters 1000 here or a Grand Slam. In a way it’s even stronger than a Grand Slam, where you don’t have first rounds, where you maybe can get into the tournament, which sometimes can be the case in a Grand Slam. I think we’re going to see a lot of different results where the seeded players can lose and stuff like this because first rounds are never easy.”

With the prospect of a marque final against Carlos Alcaraz on the line, Medvedev will be hoping to avoid any upsets at the tournament. Beating Tommy Paul in the first round would give him huge confidence after the American having a decent US Open series.

Tricky draw for Daniil Medvedev at the China Open

While Daniil Medvedev’s excitement for a possible final meeting with Carlos Alcaraz at the China Open is understandable, he faces a very tricky road to get there. Medvedev and Alcaraz have been drawn in opposite half, given their standing as the top two seeds but the competition in both the halves is expected to be strong.

The depth of the draw means that Medvedev will have to be on his A-game. Should the Russian beat de Minaur, the likes of Rublev, Zverev, Sinner and Alcaraz could be next in line to take him on.