Carlos Alcaraz is the Mike Tyson of tennis: Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara
Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara recently heaped praise on World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
Carlos Alcaraz ended Daniil Medvedev's 19-match winning streak in the final of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Sunday, beating him 6-3, 6-2 to leapfrog Novak Djokovic and reclaim the top spot in the rankings.
Alcaraz did not drop a set in six matches in the tournament, and his performance in the California desert will give him extra confidence ahead of his Miami Open title defense.
Gilles Cervara, Medvedev's coach, said in a recent interview with Marca that Alcaraz is the Mike Tyson of tennis because of how similar his hitting ability is to that of the legendary American boxer.
"He is the Tyson of tennis because of how he is able to hit those forehands with the racket. There were blows that displaced Daniil 10 meters with brutal power and speed," Cervara said.
Cervara went on to say that the Spaniard is an incredible player, adding that he and his protégé Medvedev will begin looking for weak points in the teenager's game in the future.
"He is an incredible player. It leaves rivals with no options. We thought he would make mistakes and it seemed that he could not fail. We will have to start looking for their weak points for the future," Cervara said.
"For me it's a dream come true again" - Carlos Alcaraz on being the World No. 1 again
Carlos Alcaraz discussed being the World No. 1 again in a press conference following his Indian Wells title win, saying that it was a "dream come true" moment for him to be back at the top of the ATP rankings.
"Well, it feels great to be back on the No. 1, you know. Of course every player on the ATP wants to be No. 1, and for me it's a dream come true again. Obviously being in front of such great players like Novak, like the top players, for me, it's an amazing feeling," Alcaraz said.
Alcaraz, the reigning ATP Masters 1000 champion in Miami and Madrid, is the ninth and youngest man in history to win both the legs of the Sunshine Double — Indian Wells and Miami.
He and fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal are the only players to have won at least three Masters 1000 titles as teenagers, with Nadal having won six before the age of 20.