"Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic are all better than me if we talk about peak performance... It's a big challenge" - Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev has said that rivals Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are all better than him. To drive home his point, the Russian pointed to his loss against Sinner in the final of this year's Australian Open.
Medvedev was in cruise control for the majority of the first two sets in the Australian Open final. The Russian's booming serves, coupled with his precise forehands and backhands, left Sinner scrambling for solutions. Having raced to a 6-3, 5-1 lead over the Italian, it seemed as if it was only a matter of time before Medvedev would go on to win his second Grand Slam title.
However, it was at this point that Sinner came into his own and started to look like the player that had only dropped a set (to Djokovic in the semifinals) before his match against the Russian. Even though the Italian went on to lose the second set 3-6, it was clear that he was not down and out yet.
For Medvedev though, things started unraveling rapidly, as the exhaustion of three five-set matches in the tournament prior to the final seemed to be finally catching up with him. As a result, Sinner turned things around in spectacular fashion, winning the next three sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to clinch his maiden Grand Slam title.
Recently, Medvedev, in an interview with rolandgarros.com, said that he feels Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic are superior to him in terms of their "peak performance". According to the Russian, it is a "big challenge" to match their levels and outperform them.
"Jannik, Carlos, Novak, I feel like they are all better than me, if we talk about peak performance; so for me it’s a big challenge to try to beat them when I play them. I’m happy to take this challenge and make a big improvement on myself when I manage to beat them," Medvedev said.
The ATP World No. 4 went on to cite the example of his 2024 Australian Open final loss to Sinner.
"That’s what I believe because for example Australian Open (2024 final against Sinner) was peak of my peak, yes, I was tired physically, this, that, and maybe I would win if I would not be tired, but this is if. The fact is I was at my peak and I didn’t win," Medvedev added.
Daniil Medvedev's second final defeat this season came against Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells
In the final of this year's BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Medvedev faced Alcaraz. Once again, it was the Russian who made the better start as he established a 3-0 lead in the first set. However, the Spaniard slowly grew into the game, and once he did, Medvedev was no match for him.
While the first set went to a tiebreak, which Alcaraz ultimately won 7-6(5), the second set was a one-sided affair, as the Spaniard spectacularly raised his level to win it 6-1. It marked the second year in a row that Alcaraz had swept aside Medvedev in the final of the prestigious ATP Masters 1000 event.
Right now, Medvedev is competing at the Italian Open, and is set to face Next Gen ATP Finals champion Hamad Medjedovic in the third round on Monday, May 13.