Daniil Medvedev has been on the unfortunate side of things this season. Three times this year, the Russian was very close to winning a title but was denied by the ATP Top 3 players. He has now admitted that the likes of Jannik Sinner , Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic are far better than him.
The 28-year-old has been on an incredible run of form this season as he has failed to reach the quarterfinals only once in all the tournaments he has competed in. But, he is yet to win any title, in fact, he last won a title in Rome last year beating Holger Rune in the final. After a year, he has been to five finals losing three to Jannik Sinner, one to Novak Djokovic, and one to Carlos Alcaraz.
The last final the Russian played was against Alcaraz in the Indian Wells Masters. The Russian had played very well in the first set making it difficult for Alcaraz but was swept in the second set losing 5-7, 1-6. At the Madrid Open, the 28-year-old found himself with a good chance to win the title, after Alcaraz lost in the quarterfinals and Sinner withdrew, but, he disappointed retired after sustaining an injury against Jiri Lehecka.
Speaking ahead of the Roland Garros, the Russian revealed that despite his peak performances over the months Sinner, Alcaraz, and Djokovic have been better than him. He added that he was willing to take the challenge and improve on his game.
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. Daniil Medvedev said in an interview with the official Roland-Garros website
Medvedev will be hoping to win the Italian Open, with Sinner and Alcaraz already skipping the tournament due to injury. He will begin his campaign against British Jack Draper in the second round.
Daniil Medvedev’s head-to-head record against the Top 3
Daniil Medvedev began the season at World No.3 but has dropped to No.4 after failing to win a title this season. However, his biggest obstacles have been the Top 3, who have made life difficult for the Russian on the Tour.
But, his head-to-head record against them seems comfortable despite his recent loss against them. Carlos Alcaraz leads the Russian 4-2, while Novak Djokovic leads 10-5.
Medvedev leads Jannik Sinner 6-5 but has lost against the Italian in their last four meetings. Medvedev would be hoping to change the record as the season progresses.
More must-reads: