Medvedev: "Alcaraz and Sinner are extraordinary phenomena, they do things that others cannot"

Andrés Tomás Rico - 28 Oct 2026 | 00:19
ATP Daniil Medvedev Carlos Alcaraz Jannik Sinner

The Russian praised both Spanish and Italian, stating that "if you play many matches against them, you're likely to lose more than you win."
 

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Medvedev: "Alcaraz and Sinner are extraordinary talents, they do things that others cannot." Photo: Getty Images

Daniil Medvedev is experiencing a second youth. The 30-year-old tennis player seems to have rediscovered his game for much of 2026, after a forgettable 2025. He started strong with titles in Brisbane and Dubai, plus a final at Indian Wells. However, his hated clay courts followed, and he had an inconsistent grass court season. He also did not show his best version on North American hard courts, but when the indoor hard court season arrives, he is one of the most dangerous players.

This is confirmed by his titles at the ATP 250 in Hangzhou and the recent one at the ATP 250 in Almaty. These successes allow him to secure the fifth spot in the ATP ranking and make him dream of closing out 2026 with a chance to lift the last three tournaments of the year: ATP 500 in Basel, Masters 1000 in Paris, and if he manages to qualify for the ATP Finals.

“I am playing well, I feel good physically. I arrived in the United States without the proper training and paid the price. In tennis, many different aspects come into play, and in a way, you never know which is the most important. This year, I have managed to play good tennis at times on different surfaces. But if we compare the U.S. tour to the Asia tour, I would say that the balls used here suit my game better. And with the altitude in Almaty, the ball travels a bit faster,” he stated in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.

Medvedev is ranked fifth in the ATP rankings and has won four titles in 2026

Despite his great form, the Russian is honest, and when asked if he could compete head-to-head with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, he shuts the door. “To surpass them in the rankings? Probably not. Over the course of an entire season, they are much stronger than everyone else, unless, of course, they are injured. Although injuries are part of the game.”

He took the opportunity to praise the Spaniard and the Italian, whom he sees as unbeatable: “If you play many matches against Alcaraz and Sinner, you will probably lose more than you win. And that is normal, because they are, in a good way, extraordinary phenomena. They can do things that others cannot.”

That’s why the Moscow native sets more realistic goals: “The objective is this: if you can win two out of ten matches, you try to win three. Maybe four, or even five out of ten. You try. Every time you step on the court, you try. But I repeat: when they are in good physical shape, they have shown throughout the season that they are the number one and two in the world, in any order you want. That said, staying healthy is also part of the game. And this year, for them, that was not the case,” concluded Daniil Medvedev, who will make his debut tomorrow at ATP Vienna against Dani Mérida.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev lo tiene claro con Alcaraz y Sinner: "Hacen cosas que otros no pueden"