Alcaraz and the key reason he overwhelmed Medvedev: "I trusted my tennis"

Carlos Navarro - 31 Oct 2026 | 23:22
Carlos Alcaraz ATP ATP Viena 2026 Rueda de prensa

The Murcian analyzed his semifinals against Daniil and confirmed that he had worked very hard to achieve victories like this, the first against a top-5 player since his return from injury.

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Alcaraz explained everything about his victory against Medvedev.

Carlos Alcaraz must have gone to bed today with a smile from ear to ear. He faced the toughest test of the entire week at the ATP Vienna 2026, a true thermometer to measure the temperature of his tennis under indoor conditions. We are talking about Daniil Medvedev, who had just won two titles in the last four weeks, in magnificent form... and with the memory of his impressive victory over the Murcian at Indian Wells ingrained in his DNA.

The Moscow player tried to execute an identical game plan, being very aggressive, targeting the sidelines and forcing Carlos to hit more backhands than forehands. This time, however, there was indeed that spark in Carlos's shots that allows him to turn his opponent's plan upside down and find the center of the court to dominate with his forehand. The backhand was his stronghold, with variety, solidity, and patience, while the forehand was the decisive shot, all complemented by a serve level that is starting to excite us. Beyond tennis, there was nothing more important for the Murcian than knowing he had triumphed once again against a top-5 player: this is his first victory against a player with this ranking since returning from injury.

Alcaraz defined the key to his victory over Medvedev

Carlitos was asked about this in a post-match interview, a piece of information that offers peace of mind and allows him to check off another box after so much time away from the courts. However, the Murcian listed other reasons why his victory over the Russian was very special. "It's a great feeling. To win against someone like Daniil, on an indoor court, with the form he’s in, all the confidence, all the victories he’s had lately... being able to beat him is something special. 

I have been working very hard on every aspect of my tennis to arrive at this tournament in great form, to give myself the chance to go far here. I’m really happy to be playing another final, the first one here in Vienna: I will try to recover, making the most of my time to be in good shape, in a good state, physically and mentally, for tomorrow. It has been a great week, and I can't wait to step onto the court tomorrow", said the player from El Palmar, who will face an old acquaintance, Alex de Miñaur, in the title match.

Before reaching that encounter, however, he also went through doubtful moments: in both sets he went up a break... only to immediately give it back, a situation that would mentally unsettle many, but from which the Murcian admits he was able to recover without problems. "I stayed in there the whole time. I was a break up in both sets, but right after the next game, he broke me back. That moment (in the second set) was a bit frustrating, because I couldn’t take advantage of the break I had, but I’m very happy with how I remained mentally strong, I didn’t let those moments affect my tennis or affect me mentally in any way".

What was the reason for his victory? Alcaraz knew that for this matchup he could not lose control of the baseline, finding comfort in an aggression typical of indoor hard courts and being consistent with that principle. To conclude, he defined the reason for overcoming Daniil: "Today I trusted in my game throughout the match. It didn’t matter what moment of the match it was, I trusted my tennis, I trusted in being aggressive, knowing I had to go for big shots, that I had to be brave. I’m happy, because in the tiebreak, there were a couple of moments, a couple of points where I was really aggressive and it paid off. I am very happy". Get the popcorn ready, as Alex de Miñaur is coming tomorrow... and the search for the fourth title in 2026 for the shark.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz y la clave por la que pasó por encima de Medvedev: "Confié en mi tenis"