"Daniil Medvedev becoming World No. 1 is good for tennis, I don't think we are ever going to see three GOATs in same generation again" - Prakash Amritraj
Tennis commentator Prakash Amritraj is of the opinion that men's tennis will benefit immensely from having Daniil Medvedev as its No. 1 player. Amritraj said that he does not foresee any set of players dominating the sport in the future like the Big 3 has been doing for the last decade and a half.
Medvedev ascended to the top of the ATP rankings on February 28, becoming the 27th player in ATP history to reach the spot, and the third Russian after Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin. He also became the first player other than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to be ranked No. 1 since Andy Roddick in 2004.
It's official: Daniil Medvedev is No. 1!
He's the 27th No. 1 in ATP rankings history, the 3rd Russian man to do it (after Kafelnikov and Safin), the tallest man ever to do it (at 6' 6") and the first new men's No. 1 since 2016 (Murray).
Congratulations, @DaniilMedwed! 🎉
Speaking on the latest episode of the Match Point Canada podcast, Amritraj heaped praise on the 26-year-old for breaking the stranglehold on the World No. 1 position. The former ATP player claimed that every generation usually has only one player dominating the game, implying that Daniil Medvedev could prove to be the one to beat among the current crop of players.
"Daniil Medvedev becoming the World No. 1 is a good thing for tennis beyond a shadow of doubt. Personally, I don't think we are ever going to see three GOATs at the same level or maybe even two in the same generation again," Amritraj said. "You usually have one guy really separating himself."
Despite seeing it unfold right in front of his eyes, Prakash Amritraj could not get over the improbability of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic all playing at the same time. The former Indian player considered it a "gift" for tennis fans, watching three GOATs compete against each other at the same time.
"Normally, you are comparing [Rod] Laver to [Pete] Sampras, you're comparing Margaret Court to Steffi Graf. It's generational, so you were not able to see how they would have fared against each other. But this is wild," Amritraj said. "Even though [Roger] Federer started before them in his level of greatness, he has been doing it for so long and when [Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic] came on, we got to see this time which is such a gift for all of our tennis fans."
Looking to the future, the 38-year-old hoped men's tennis would come to resemble the WTA, where there are a lot of players vying for titles without any clear favorites. He was particularly impressed by World No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime and World No. 13 Denis Shapovalov, among others. He also expressed his excitement at what lies in store for the sport after the Big 3 hang up their racquets.
"I am super excited to return to a little bit more to the 90's where we had lots of different guys vying for titles, which is how I see it on the WTA side of things right now. It's a beautiful time," Amritraj said. "You have Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, who are both so classy. I think it's only a matter of time for them. This is a super exciting time for the men's game. I am all for it, I am super pumped."
Felix Auger-Aliassime over the past 8 months
Rotterdam 500 W
ATP Cup W
US Open SF
Wimbledon QF
Australian Open QF
Stuttgart F
He was 2-15 vs the top 10 until May 2021, 7-6 since May.
Career high #9
Maturing well. Have to admire the resilience and hard work behind this progress.
"Daniil Medvedev is never the kind of guy who looks like he has changed to appease other people" - Prakash Amritraj
Prakash Amritraj heaped further praise on Daniil Medvedev, saying that he fully deserved to be the World No. 1 because of his unparalleled willpower and determination.
"There is no way of denying Daniil Medvedev's deserved-ness. When someone achieves this pinnacle, I don't care how you do it because everyone has a different way. But the one thing that is a common factor is the willpower, self-belief and grit. It is unparalleled," Amritraj said. "[To do it] in a sport like tennis that is so competitive and so global, where there are so many people competing, all the credit and the love to him."
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L2️⃣ + ⬅️
Only legends will understand the epic US Open-winning celebration from Daniil Medvedev. HBD, @DaniilMedwed! ⚽️🎮 https://t.co/FoQzXZ4qo8
Amritraj also pointed out how the Russian got to the top without altering his personality to suit fans' expectations, a quality he highly approved of. The 38-year-old also drew attention to the 26-year-old's candor and frankness, remarking that it was a breath of fresh air for men's tennis to have him as their headliner.
"Daniil Medvedev is never the kind of guy who looks like he has changed to appease other people. He seems like he has really done it his way. He's always very forthcoming in interviews," Amritraj said. "It is so refreshing. I love that about him. He's doing him and all the power to him."