Daniil Medvedev Reveals Spending Years Thinking About Overcoming Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have been the benchmarks of men’s tennis in the last couple of seasons. That includes former US Open champion, Daniil Medvedev. However, the Russian claims that he has been working on a strategy to topple this duo for a long time.

Medvedev, who is currently in Brisbane competing for the ATP 250 event, claims that he has to first play at a level which allows him to face the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz first. After that, he should think about how he could overcome them. Medvedev said in his post-match press conference:

To be honest, when I was in the top three or four, I thought a lot about what to do about Carlos and Jannik, how I could improve and all that. Last year I didn’t play against them because I played terribly and never made it to the rounds where I could face them. So this preseason I didn’t think about them at all. I was thinking, ‘Okay, how can I get back to the level where I can play to, first of all, beat the others, and then, if I get to play against him, I’ll talk to my new team and see what we can do?’ That’s all I can say, because, again, if I get to play against them, that’s fine, because last year I didn’t play well enough to face them.

Sinner and Alcaraz have dominated men’s tennis for the last two seasons, winning all the Grand Slams and a combined eight Masters 1000 events. Moreover, Sinner swept both the ATP Finals titles.

Medvedev was considered to be forming a trio after the Big 3. However, the 2021 US Open champion had a disastrous 2025 season, where he astonishingly won just one Grand Slam match across four events.

Daniil Medvedev speaks about the input of his coaches

Daniil Medvedev has spoken about the input of his two coaches, Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke. Johansson has been a top tennis player during his time, being an ex-Australian Open champion. He added:

Rohan is also an important part of the team because, firstly, he’s in daily contact with Thomas, so they’re a real duo, so to speak. It’s not that when Thomas is here he’s the coach and that’s it, and when Rohan is here he’s the coach and that’s it. No, they really work together and, from what I can tell, they love working together, and that’s great because that’s the goal. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work.

Goetzke joined the team in late 2025 as a replacement for Gilles Cervara. Cervara had worked with Medvedev for eight years (2017-2025), guiding him to his first Grand Slam and World No. 1 ranking.

However, they split after a disastrous Grand Slam season for Medvedev, where he had three first-round exits. Moreover, the on-court behavior from the Russian also contributed to his emotional drain during the last 12 months.

Goetzke is working mainly as an assistant to Johansson, who is the head coach and is working closely with Medvedev. So far, the results show that the former ATP Finals champion has advanced to the Brisbane semifinals.

Daniil Medvedev secures huge comeback win in Brisbane

Former World No.1 Daniil Medvedev booked his place in the Brisbane semifinals after overcoming Kamil Majchrzak in three sets, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2. After dropping a tight opening set, the Russian raised his level and took control of the match. He finished with a clear edge in total points won and maintained his status as the tournament favorite.

Medvedev played aggressively throughout, producing a high number of winners while also accepting some errors in attack. His serve proved decisive, as he struck 16 aces and defended five of the six break points he faced. Although his second serve was tested, he consistently applied pressure during key moments.

Majchrzak showed strong resistance early, especially in the first set where he saved break points and forced a tiebreak. The Pole capitalized on his chances, claiming the opener with confident baseline play and sharp returns. However, his level dipped afterwards as Medvedev began dictating rallies and breaking serve more frequently.

The momentum fully shifted in the deciding set when Medvedev earned an early break and never looked back. He extended his lead with solid service games and another break midway through the set. Serving for the match at 5-2, he closed it out comfortably, confirming his place in the last four and staying firmly on track for the title.

Also Read: Tennis Kenya Admits Blunder After Wildcard Player Goes Viral Playing the Worst Match in History

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