Medvedev has no doubt about Alcaraz: "He is one of the favorites for the title"

Daniil Medvedev seeks to reconnect with his tennis in the place where he triumphed in 2021 and ascended to the top of the ATP ranking. After the embarrassing episode with Benjamin Bonzi last year, the Russian seems more serene, thanks, in part, to the results and the matches accompanying him in this first week of the US Open. For now, he is already in the third round, having defeated Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5.

In the press conference following his victory, the Russian spoke about the level shown by his opponent, as well as Carlos Alcaraz's chances of success in this US Open. He also expressed support for the USTA's strategy of credentialing content creators but disagreed with the term ‘Disneyland of tennis’ used by Craig Riley.

Medvedev was pleased with his start at the US Open

"I think it was quite good, with a good level. He raised his level in the third set, so I'm happy to have achieved the victory, to keep fighting, and to stay strong. I served well and played well with the serve. I'm happy with that and looking forward to continuing."

Image

Medvedev named Alcaraz as one of the favorites in the US Open

"Someone like Carlos, or Novak as well, even though he is 39, was in the semifinals of Wimbledon and in the final of the Australian Open, so yes, he lost here, but it can happen. As long as players like them are in the draw, they are favorites. We have no idea how Carlos's wrist will feel, how his body will respond as the tournament progresses, but he is undoubtedly one of the top favorites for the title."

Medvedev reminded how different a Grand Slam is from the rest of the ATP circuit

"It is normally a mix of things. Of course, it depends on how you played in Cincinnati, how you have played in general during the summer, but we just saw Arthur Fils losing, Brendan Nakashima losing, and they had a great summer. Then you try to focus on the matches you play here. I'm happy with my first two matches, so I'm looking forward to continuing to improve my level. A Grand Slam, every tournament is a new story, and I want to try to write a good one here."

Medvedev analyzed Gorzny's playing style

"It's the first time I've seen him. I watched a bit of his match against Collignon, but you know, it's still different to see someone who has been on the circuit for three years than to see him in just one match. I would say he has a somewhat classic style, in a somewhat American way: he tries to look for his forehand a lot, has a good serve, a solid serve, and tries to come up to the net. Probably many college players play like that. Then, when they come to the circuit, they try to adapt a bit."

Meddy puts the finishing touch on a straight-sets victory ✍️ pic.twitter.com/fMgxPD0imm

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2026

"In the first two sets, I don't know if I was tired from the previous match, which was obviously long, or if I simply wasn't getting used to my game. I'm sure I was making too many errors and things like that. The third set was a battle. There were some incredible points. Still, I had many break points, so I feel I deserved to win the set. But it was a great battle, and he showed a great level."

Medvedev praised Monfils and does not close the door to a long career

"You never know. Never say never. I would say probably not. I will probably stop before. But again, never say never. If you have the ability to play like Gaël, even though obviously his ranking isn't in the top 10, he can still play incredible tennis. I didn't see the match yesterday because I was playing early today, so I was having dinner during his match. I just followed the scores."

"It's incredible that at 40 years old he can beat top-level players, because in a Grand Slam, regardless of who you play against, all are top-level players. It's very fun, for sure. Tennis will miss him. The more matches he can win before he retires, the better, because more tennis and more people will get to see him play. It's amazing how he still stays physically fit. I saw the mixed doubles point where he got to those balls. It's amazing to do that at 40. It's just very fun."

Medvedev supports the emergence of content creators at the US Open

"It's actually very simple. I think the more we try to increase the visibility of tennis, the better it will be because the sport will become more popular. Of course, there are some downsides, like maybe more people will recognize you on the street, and it will be harder to go to a restaurant. But in general, the more the sport grows, the better. So I would put it this way: I trust the USTA with what they're doing."

"Of course, if it interferes during play, for example, if you see a light or something like that, you can always tell the umpire. Sometimes it can be complicated, like if it happens during a point. But I'm pretty sure that even they, maybe once they do it, someone will then tell them not to do it. I think there are many more positive aspects than negative, so let’s go for it."

Medvedev praised Craig Tiley's management but dislikes the term 'Disneyland of tennis'

"I haven’t talked to Craig, but I trust Craig. I think he does many good things for tennis. I think the expression 'Disneyland of tennis' I don't like because this is still a sport, you know, where we fight for our lives in a way. The expression 'Disneyland of tennis' does not sit well with me, but I think that when he says it, he doesn't mean that we're going to make it something just fun. He is referring to growing the sport, growing tennis, so I think it's a positive thing," concludes Daniil Medvedev who awaits Arthur Rinderknech in the third round of the US Open.
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev no duda con Alcaraz: "Es uno de los favoritos al título"