"As long as there's Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev will always be just the next big star; it's unfortunate" - Andrea Petkovic
Andrea Petkovic recently claimed that the presence of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on the ATP tour will always come at a cost for Daniil Medvedev.
Since breaking into the top 10 of the ATP rankings back in 2019, Medvedev has consistently featured in the top 10. He even became World No. 1 in 2022. However, the rise of next-gen superstars, Alcaraz and Sinner, has affected not just Medvedev's ranking, but also how he is perceived by tournament organizers.
The Russian, despite his consistent presence in the top 10, has found himself at the unfavorable end of scheduling decisions across numerous recent tournaments. His second-round win over Emil Ruusuvuori at this year's Australian Open raised eyebrows around the tennis world as the match finished at almost 4 AM local time in Melbourne.
Petkovic, a former WTA World No. 9, recently sat down with Serena Williams' ex-coach Rennae Stubbs to talk about Medvedev. According to Petkovic, Sinner and Alcaraz will always have an advantage over Medvedev when it comes to prime time scheduling.
"He is in the worst position, he's the number 3 in the world and he's always been number 2 or 3 in the world, which means there's one big star, it's Novak or now Sinner or it was Alcaraz for a while who always get the prime time 7 pm schedule. But he's still a big star, so you put him in a slot where you're not sure whether people will show up, but because it's Medvedev, they will," Petkovic said on Racquet's Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast (53:05).
Petkovic went on to predict that things are likely to remain the same for Medvedev even if he becomes World No. 1 again.
"Even if he is number 1 in the world, as long as there's Alcaraz and Sinner, he'll always be just the next big star. It's unfortunate," Petkovic added. (55:47)
Daniil Medvedev expresses confidence ahead of his first match at this year's Miami Open
Medvedev is currently preparing for the Miami Open, where he is the defending champion. The Russian defeated Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-3 in last year's final to clinch the title.
Ahead of his second-round clash against Marton Fucsovics in Miami, Medvedev told the press that his run at the recently-concluded BNP Paribas Open had given him confidence. The Russian lost in the final of the BNP Paribas Open to Carlos Alcaraz.
"Never easy when you play late at the [previous] tournament to go straight to another one. But at the same time, you gain confidence by making the final, so I feel ready," Medvedev said (via ATPTour.com).