Novak Djokovic has been the only major contender to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the Grand Slam tournaments over the last couple of years, but another name has returned to the top of the pile of contenders over the last few weeks.
That’s the verdict of coaching guru Patrick Mouratoglou, who believes the revival in fortunes from Daniel Medvedev could allow him to end the run of nine major titles won by Sinner or Alcaraz.
Djokovic was the last player to win a title outside of the new ‘Big 2’ in men’s tennis when he lifted the 2023 US Open, with the former coach of Serena Williams claiming the Russian player who beat Alcaraz and then pushed Sinner all the way in the Indian Wells final last week is now back in the mix for the big titles.
“The Third Man. Is Daniil Medvedev officially back in the Top 3 conversation?” asked Mouratoglou in an LinkedIn post.
“At Indian Wells, we were all watching the same question. Not just who would win the title, but who, right now, can really challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
“Daniil gave a very strong answer. He beat Carlos in the semifinal. Then he pushed Jannik in the final in two tie-break sets.
More Tennis News
‘Top 3 material’ Joao Fonseca ‘can jump in the mix with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’
ATP Rankings Race To Turin: Sinner and Medvedev overtake Djokovic and close gap to Alcaraz
“So yes, I think the question is legitimate again: Is Daniil back as the third man?
“First, let’s say something clearly. There does not have to be a third man. Maybe there will be one, maybe there will be four, maybe the next big challengers will come from the younger generation.
“But if we look at the players who can challenge Sinner and Alcaraz right now, Daniil is one of the names that stands out to me. Why? Because his level is back very high.
“Six months ago, we were not really having this conversation. He was far from his best level. Now, it is different. And even Carlos said after losing to him that he had never seen Daniil play like that. Daniil disagreed.
“And I think his answer was very interesting. He basically said: I play at that level when I am very confident. That is the key. Confidence. And I think right now, he has found it again.”
Mouratoglou went on to assess why Medvedev’s unconventional brand of tennis is so challenging to players when he is at his best.
“What makes him such a problem for the best players? His serve, first of all. Unbelievable,” he added.
“His movement, still exceptional. The depth of his shots. This is one of the most underrated parts of his game. He plays so deep and so flat that he controls rallies in a very particular way.
“Against Carlos, one statistic says a lot: he was inside the baseline 39% of the time. For Daniil, that is huge. It shows how much pressure his ball was creating. And I also saw something very interesting in the final against Jannik.
“When they went backhand to backhand, Daniil’s depth and pace were so strong that Jannik was getting stuck in the backhand corner. After a few exchanges, Jannik started going down the line on shots that were not always the right ones.
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
“That tells you something important: Daniil does not just defend well against them. He has patterns that can actually hurt them.
“Could he have won the final? Yes. He was 4-0 up in the second-set tie-break. He had opportunities. So even if he lost in straight sets, this final confirmed something for me: He is back at a level where he can seriously challenge the two best players in the world.
“Is he as good as Jannik and Carlos today? Maybe not. But I do not think he is that far. And that is already a big statement. Because when Daniil is serving like this, moving like this, and playing with this level of confidence, he becomes a real threat again.”
Medvedev will look to confirm he is back among the game’s elite with another deep run at the Miami Open, with his return to the top 10 of the ATP Rankings suggesting he is back on an upward curve after a dip in form in 2025.
READ NEXT: ATP Miami Open Predictions: Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev continues resurgence
The post Novak Djokovic has been replaced as ‘the third man’ claims leading tennis voice appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply