Medvedev: "Beating Alcaraz felt like winning the tournament"

Daniil Medvedev has experienced the bitter side of defeat in the Indian Wells Masters 1000 final against Jannik Sinner after two tight tiebreaks. The Russian tennis player attended the press conference afterwards and analyzed what it means to face players of the caliber of the Italian or Carlos Alcaraz, comparing them to the 'Big Three' and foreseeing even more achievements in their careers, something he will try to prevent.

Additionally, Medvedev also discussed the improvement in his game during these past months, which has allowed him to return to the top 10 of the ATP rankings. Despite squandering some chances in the match against Jannik Sinner, Daniil expressed satisfaction, highlighting that he is on the right path to return to the level that once led him to win the US Open and become the world number one.

Daniil Medvedev's Press Conference After Losing the Indian Wells Final to Sinner

Performance at Indian Wells

It has been a great tournament, with a very high level, even today. Of course, I am a bit disappointed for having had some moments where I could have played better. Jannik is a fantastic player, so it is very difficult to face him. Overall, I am pleased with the week and look forward to playing more matches like this.

Improvement in His Game and Increased Confidence against Alcaraz and Sinner

Yes, well, last year I didn't play against any of them because I played poorly, so I had already lost before facing them. So I am glad that in this tournament, I played well enough to first beat everyone else, and then even well enough to defeat Carlos and face Jannik. So that will be my goal, not to focus too much on them specifically but to focus on improving myself, improving my game, trying to beat everyone else.

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Then, as I said yesterday, whenever you have Carlos and Jannik in the tournament, which will likely be the case in Miami, there are many chances that you will meet one of them in the semifinals, and if you play incredibly well, then one of them in the final. So that is the goal, and that is what I will try to keep doing.

Matching Up with Alcaraz and Sinner

It's hard to say because I have lost many matches against them, and today I lost to Jannik again. I know I can be a good player, and I will give my best, whoever is on the other side of the net, maybe Carlos and Jannik, maybe someone else, but I will just try to play good tennis, something that I have shown I can do again here, in Dubai, in Brisbane... So that is my goal, because I believe that, overall, in a single match, anyone can compete with them.

I mean, you saw Jakub beat Jannik in Doha, you saw me beat Carlos here, things like that. So in a single match, many can challenge them. I don't think it's right to say that it's just me or just Novak or just Sascha. But it is certainly very difficult, and that's why, when you get to the end of the season, typically they have about 60 wins and 5 or 6 losses, four of which are against each other. So it's not an easy challenge, and you just have to give your best.

Comparison of Alcaraz and Sinner with Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer

Yes, they are all tough opponents. Unfortunately, I hadn't played against Roger yet when I established myself in the top ten. He was starting to shine and I believe he would have been a very tough opponent for me. In a way, we will never know, but the three matches I played, I lost. So they are all different, all different players, and Jannik is different from Carlos. They are all different. So, of course, the tactics are a bit different.

Playing against Jannik is a bit different from playing against Carlos. And of course, Rafa is completely different because he is left-handed and has that crazy spin. They are all very tough opponents. That's why they all have many Grand Slams, Jannik and Carlos a bit less at the moment, but unless something extraordinary happens, they will have many. How many, we don't know. They are a very tough challenge because they demand the best from yourself. And probably, if we look at my career, well, I am worse than them, but I will do my best to challenge them when I have the opportunity. Sometimes it works, and that's what I will try to continue doing.

Opportunities against Sinner and Alcaraz

It's a bittersweet feeling because beating Carlos yesterday felt like winning the tournament, especially for me. I have lost many times against him. But that's not the reality. You know, there is still one final to play. I had my chance, a small chance in the first set. A slightly bigger chance in the second set tiebreak. But at the same time, I was close to winning by not very large margins throughout the set. So that's what it is.

It's like a bittersweet feeling where I feel good about what I did this week. But of course, I wanted to try to push even more, but it's difficult. And, as you said, his serve was phenomenal. I think, basically, since the first match he beat me in Beijing, he did something with his team on his serve, and he is serving phenomenally. It's very hard to read, very hard to return, even when you read it. Not just for me, but for many players. So that was tough being in the return position today.

Return to the Top 10

It's a nice feeling, but I have always said that when I play well, I return to the top 10. I played well. For example, at the end of the season, I was very close to finishing the year in the top 10, although there were some periods during the year that were horrible, and I couldn't get any points. So, if I can maintain this level, I will reach the top 10 at some point, maybe even the top 5, but if I lose this level, then my ranking can fluctuate. Does it mean something special to me? No. But it's a good feeling at the same time.

Court Coaching at the Australian Open

I don't think it matters much because if you have seen me or Carlos play, for example, even with the coaches a bit farther, they can still talk to you and you can hear them. So I wonder, is there any tournament where they are really farther away? In Dubai, it was like that before, but even so, if you shout, you can hear them. So I have always said that I am not against coaching, but I, personally, don't need it.

Whenever there was a rule prohibiting coaching, I was fine with it. Now that it is allowed, I am fine with it. I personally prefer the team to be a bit higher, just for me, it's easier for me to see them and communicate with them. But if they are lower, it's okay. It doesn't matter much.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev: "Ganar a Alcaraz lo sentí como ganar el torneo"