Medvedev has a headache trying to find a way to fight Alcaraz
"From now on, every time I practice I think Alcaraz is on the other side of the net," Medvedev said at a press conference before the Cincinnati Masters on August 15. "Can't fight Alcaraz like everyone else. Maybe I have to take more risks."
Medvedev lost two of his three matches against Alcaraz. His two defeats have come this season, at the Indian Wells Masters final and the Wimbledon semi-finals. The Russian tennis player admits that Alcaraz is difficult to play, and can almost only meet juniors in the semi-finals or finals of major tournaments.
"My team and I still observe Alcaraz regularly," Medvedev revealed. "We don't discuss too much but we've seen how people like Tommy Paul make it difficult for Alcaraz. Obviously Alcaraz made a lot of small drops for me. So do others but they need to play well like Alcaraz, otherwise I will rush to score the winner".
Medvedev and Alcaraz could meet in this week's Cincinnati Masters final. They are two of the players earning the most titles since the beginning of the year. Medvedev won 48 games, winning five, while Alcaraz won 49 and lifted the trophy six times. Alcaraz won two of the last four Grand Slams, while Medvedev was crowned only once at the US Open 2021.
Former world number nine female tennis player Andrea Petkovic thinks Alcaraz may not be as successful as the "Big 3" because of a lack of opponents for the rest of his career. "In any field, you only get better when there are competitors. Alcaraz doesn't have that many competitors," Petkovic told Tennis Channel on August 15.
According to the German tennis player, Roger Federer could only earn 17 Grand Slams if Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal did not compete fiercely. She said: "I think Federer is pleased to have surpassed Sampras's record in 2009 and he would certainly have stopped at 17 Grand Slams without the other two. Competition at the top drove them."
Federer surpassed Pete Sampras' record of 14 Grand Slams in 2009, then won his 17th Grand Slam at Wimbledon 2012. The Swiss legend then went empty-handed for five years, before winning the 2017 Australian Open. He ended his career with the Grand. The 20th Slam at the Australian Open 2018. As the first person to reach the 20 Grand Slam milestone, Federer has been surpassed by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, respectively, with 22 and 23 Grand Slams so far.
