World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev shared a lighthearted moment with Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 China Open. The duo faced each other in the semifinals of the ATP 500 event this week, with Alcaraz claiming the honors in one hour and 26 minutes, 7-5, 6-3.
Medvedev and Alcaraz were last seen competing in the Laver Cup while representing Team Europe in Berlin. They made their first appearance in the Asian hardcourt swing in the 2024 China Open.Despite a valiant effort against the Spaniard, Medvedev struggled to get past him in the semifinals. After losing for the third time this year, he insisted on getting a makeover similar to Botic van de Zandschulp, who famously upset Alcaraz in the second round of the US Open last month.
“I told him that, for our next match, I was going to dye my hair blonde and that I was going to put a sign with Botic’s name on my chest.”
Alcaraz and Medvedev have faced each other eight times on the main tour. The Spaniard leads the head-to-head 6-2 and is now unbeaten in their last four matches. Apart from his recent win in the China Open, he also defeated Medvedev in the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships and denied him a title in the BNP Paribas Open finals.Medvedev, who added four hardcourt titles to his locker in 2023, is yet to open his account in 2024. He was one win away from winning the Australian Open in Melbourne but ran out of gas against Jannik Sinner in the finals.
The Russian still needs 800 points to secure his place in the ATP Finals. He currently holds the fifth spot in the race to Turin and is expected to make the final eight in November.
“I’m looking forward to Shanghai to try to continue this positive dynamic” – Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev is eager to continue his solid form in the Shanghai Masters. He won the event in 2019 and will enter for the fifth time this year.
Medvedev is known for his exceptional all-around game on hard courts. He defeated the likes of Fabio Fognini, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to his first title in the Shanghai Masters in 2019.The 28-year-old reflected on his recent performance in the China Open and hoped to raise his level further in the Shanghai Masters. The Russian spoke about maintaining his positive dynamic during a press conference in Beijing.
“Coming here, I was not feeling great in confidence, in the approach to my tennis. I won three great matches, playing good against three good players in two sets. I played very good against Carlos,” Medvedev said.
“I’m looking forward to Shanghai to try to continue this positive dynamic. That’s what I’m looking for, yeah,” he added.