“He is the toughest opponent I have faced,” Daniil Medvedev compares Carlos Alcaraz with the ‘Big 3’ after losing in the Wimbledon semifinals

5th seed Daniil Medvedev has now lost two consecutive Wimbledon semifinals.

“He is the toughest opponent I have faced,” Daniil Medvedev compares Carlos Alcaraz with the ‘Big 3’ after losing in the Wimbledon semifinals

Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and The Big 3 (via IMAGO/Sportreviews)

Fifth seed Daniil Medvedev drew a comparison between Carlos Alcaraz and the Big 3 (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic). The Russian was beaten in four sets by the Spaniard 6-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 for the second consecutive Wimbledon.

Speaking to the press after the match, Medvedev shared how Alcaraz has the elements of all of the Big 3 members. He also called him the toughest opponent of his career.

YouTube video
The thing is I played the Big 3 when they were let’s call it ‘old’ or over 30. It’s a bit different. They’re all different. All different in their own way, in their game.
Daniil Medvedev in his post-match press conference

Alcaraz has joined the Big 3 in reaching the Roland Garros and Wimbledon finals in the same year. The Spaniard won his first Roland Garros title last month and will be hoping to land a fourth Grand Slam title on Sunday.

FS Video
It’s a different game style. I think where Carlos is different from many players.. we all have our preferences. Some prefer defense, some prefer counter attack, some prefer to be super aggressive. He can do all of it. He can sometimes slice...If you give him an easy shot, you know it’s over for you. That’s what makes it tough. Probably in my career, he’s the toughest opponent I have faced. But I have time to try to do better.
Daniil Medvedev added

Medvedev came into this match after beating top seed Jannik Sinner in five sets. He had also beaten Alcaraz in their previous Grand Slam meeting at the US Open last year. However, Alcaraz came out victorious again.

Carlos Alcaraz reaches second consecutive Wimbledon final

Carlos Alcaraz is close to winning back-to-back Wimbledon titles. The 21-year-old Spaniard defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-7(1), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Friday. Despite struggling in the first set, Alcaraz improved his serve and secured victory in two hours and 55 minutes on Centre Court.

Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz Wimbledon (via Imago)

Alcaraz, who also beat Medvedev in last year’s Wimbledon semi-finals, will face Novak Djokovic in the final. The Serbian is aiming to match Roger Federer’s record of eight Wimbledon men’s singles titles. Alcaraz has already won the 2022 US Open, 2023 Wimbledon, and 2024 Roland Garros, making him the youngest man to win on all three surfaces.

If the French Open champion wins on Sunday, he will become the sixth player to achieve the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in the same year. Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic have also achieved this feat.

In Friday’s match, Alcaraz initially struggled with his drop shots and serves, landing only 48% of his first serves. However, he improved in the second set, securing key breaks of serve. The third seed disrupted Medvedev’s rhythm and ultimately won the match with 55 winners compared to Medvedev’s 31. His win improved his record against the Russian to 5-2.

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