Daniil Medvedev suggested he feels Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have replaced Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer following his quarter-final exit at the 2024 US Open.
The world No 5 pointed out he has always competed against “tough guys”, with Alcaraz and Sinner now leading the way as the Big Three did before.
Medvedev fell to a 2-6, 6-1, 1-6, 4-6 defeat to Sinner in the last eight at the US Open — his third loss to the 23-year-old Italian this year and sixth in the pair’s last seven meetings. The Russian holds a 7-6 head-to-head lead against Sinner, having won the first six encounters the duo contested.
This was their third Grand Slam clash of 2024 after Sinner prevailed from two sets to love down in the Australian Open final and Medvedev triumphed in five sets in the Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Medvedev was seeking his second Grand Slam crown to add to the US Open title he won in 2021, but he remains without a title since the 2023 Italian Open.
Following his defeat to the world No 1, Medvedev was asked if he plans to use the off-season to focus on preparation for playing his young rivals in particular.
“I would love to say yes, but usually the off-season is like two weeks, so… (laughs),” he said in his press conference.
“The only thing I know is that, actually it’s true that, usually after pre-season I start the season good, because that’s the only time during the year when you have like – well I said two weeks – but sometimes it can be three, where it’s like three full weeks of preparation for something, which we don’t have during the year.
“During the year, the maximum you can have is maybe two, when there is no Olympic Games, like after Wimbledon. And still, it is a bit different. I always work hard.
“There were always tough guys. Before it was Rafa, Roger, Novak. Now it is Carlos, Jannik, some other guys. You just have to practise hard, try to improve your game and try to beat them.”
The 28-year-old also gave his thoughts on his rivalry with Sinner.
“Lately tough one for me, but at the same time, honestly today, comparing to some matches I played with him last year when he started to beat me, I felt like I was doing the right things,” Medvedev added.
“I just didn’t manage to execute them well. So I feel like the match itself, like, he was doing the right thing and I was doing the right thing.
So I feel like we both come out of this match thinking, ‘okay, now I feel what he does.’
“Well, the only thing is that I lost and he won. So he will be feeling better. I like it. You know, to have big rivalries like this always pushes me to be better, and sometimes I lose, sometimes I win. I will try to be better next time, and that’s the only thing I can do.”