"We were saying similar things about Daniil Medvedev" - Nick Kyrgios feels Carlos Alcaraz can't stay unplayable forever
Nick Kyrgios recently drew a parallel between Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev while answering a question about potential weaknesses in the the former's game.
On Tuesday, June 6, Alcaraz defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (5) in the quarterfinals of the 2023 French Open. With the win, the Spaniard extended his perfect record against Tsitsipas to 5-0.
The victory also meant Alcaraz advanced to his first-ever semifinal at the claycourt Major. He will take on Novak Djokovic in a highly anticipated last-four clash.
Following the match, tennis journalist Mark Petchey took to social media and questioned whether fans saw any potential weaknesses in Carlos Alcaraz's game.
"What weakness do any of the fans watching @tennischannel see in @carlosalcaraz game?" Petchey tweeted.
In response, Kyrgios drew a comparison between the conversation surrounding Alcaraz's current level of play and the early perceptions of Medvedev's skills. He acknowledged that he personally doesn't see any weaknesses in Alcaraz's game at the moment, but cautioned that players can appear unbeatable until their flaws are exposed.
"We were saying similar things about Medvedev once upon a time. Not saying [I] see one, I’m just saying, until someone exposes them, they look unplayable," Kyrgios tweeted.
We were saying similar things about medvedev once upon a time. Not saying a see one, I’m just saying, until someone exposes them, they look unplayable. twitter.com/_markpetchey/s…
"I really wanted to play again against Novak Djokovic" - Carlos Alcaraz ahead of French Open SF clash
The French Open semifinal clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will mark the pair's second meeting on the tour. Their previous encounter, in the 2022 Madrid Open semifinals, went Alcaraz's way; the Spaniard prevailed 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) in a closely contested match that lasted three hours and 38 minutes.
Ahead of their French Open clash, Alcaraz said he was among those looking forward to the semifinal showdown between himself and Djokovic.
"Well, yeah, I would say since the draw came out, everyone was expecting that match, you know, the semifinal against Novak," Alcaraz said. "Myself as well. I really want to play that match. Since last year, I really wanted to play again against Novak."
He also believes that he would have to defeat the 22-time Grand Slam champion in order to be considered the best.
"You know, we both are playing a great level, and as I said before, if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. So I'm really looking for that match," Carlos Alcaraz added.
"I'm gonna enjoy it. Of course for me, it's amazing to make history, you know, playing a semifinal with such a legend like Novak. So it's going be a great match for me."
Should Alcaraz win the semifinal aginst Djokovic, he will retain the World No. 1 ranking after the conclusion of the French Open. However, if the Serb emerges victorious, he can reclaim the top spot by winning the title in Paris.