Daniil Medvedev’s coach, Gilles Cervara, has opened up about the significant challenge of helping the Russian tennis star find a winning formula against two of his toughest rivals, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Both young talents have proven formidable opponents, and Cervara admitted that overcoming these players has become one of the defining challenges of Medvedev’s career.
For Medvedev, who has yet to capture a title this season, the rise of Sinner and Alcaraz has presented a persistent roadblock, often halting his tournament runs in the later stages. Despite holding a respectable head-to-head record against Sinner, currently standing at 7-7, Medvedev has struggled to keep pace in recent matchups. The World No. 1 Italian has managed to secure victories in all but one of their past eight encounters at the tour level, showcasing his ability to adapt and outperform the Russian.
The situation is similar when it comes to Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard has dominated Medvedev with a 6-2 record, including three key wins this season alone. Alcaraz triumphed in the Indian Wells Masters final and subsequently repeated his success by defeating Medvedev in the Wimbledon Championships semifinals and the China Open semifinals. The Spaniard’s quick rise to the top and his unique playing style have made him an especially tough opponent for Medvedev.
In a candid conversation on the “Tennis Channel Inside-In” podcast, Cervara shared insights into the continuous efforts and strategic planning required to help Medvedev compete against Sinner and Alcaraz. The French coach expressed that, at this point in Medvedev’s career, these two rivals present perhaps the most significant challenge yet. Cervara explained how much of his work with Medvedev has become laser-focused on analyzing and preparing specifically for these opponents, given how crucial it is for the Russian to crack the code to defeating them if he wants to reclaim his position at the top of the sport.
“That’s true, but Jannik and Carlos make the challenge very hard now,” Cervara said. “They’re exceptional players, and our goal is to be able to match that.”
To meet this challenge, Cervara has committed to in-depth scouting and detailed analysis of Sinner’s and Alcaraz’s games, in addition to reviewing Medvedev’s own performances. His approach combines video analysis, game plan adjustments, and pinpointing areas for improvement across various aspects of Medvedev’s game—be it technical, physical, or mental. The coach emphasized how they are continually adapting strategies, refining techniques, and preparing mentally for what has become a high-stakes rivalry.
“One of the biggest challenges is finding solutions to beat Sinner and Alcaraz,” Cervara said. “Between matches and tournaments, I try to do a lot of work watching videos of Sinner, Alcaraz, and Daniil’s previous matches. It’s about gathering as much information as possible and building a plan. We need to improve every part of his game—tennis, physical, mental, qualitative. So many things go into it.”
Medvedev himself has reflected on the contrasting styles of his rivals. He noted how Sinner plays with a mechanical consistency, making him highly predictable yet extremely difficult to break down, while Alcaraz’s game combines powerful, classical strokes with a more free-flowing style. Medvedev shared that he has traditionally viewed Alcaraz’s flair as giving him an edge over Sinner, particularly when the Spaniard is performing at his peak.
“I usually think of Jannik Sinner as a little bit more consistent, more like a machine,” Medvedev remarked, “while Carlos Alcaraz has this classy shot-making ability. But when Carlos is at the top of his game, I consider him slightly better. But that’s when we’re talking about peak performance.”
Yet, Medvedev’s recent loss to Sinner at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh challenged his own perspective. The Italian claimed an overwhelming 6-0, 6-3 win in their quarterfinal match, showing an unprecedented level of play. Reflecting on this defeat, Medvedev acknowledged how impressed he was by Sinner’s performance and even suggested that he might need to reassess his perception of the Italian’s capabilities.
“Today, I changed my opinion,” Medvedev admitted. “I’ve never played against someone who performed like Jannik Sinner did today.”
Looking ahead, the 2024 Paris Masters offers Medvedev a fresh opportunity to take on his rivals and test any new strategies that he and Cervara have crafted. After receiving a first-round bye, Medvedev will face either Matteo Berrettini or Alexei Popyrin in the second round. Both players could pose a challenging warm-up, but if Medvedev advances, he may have another chance to face Sinner or Alcaraz later in the tournament. Sinner, the current World No. 1, will open against either Ben Shelton or Corentin Moutet, while Alcaraz awaits the winner of a match between Lorenzo Sonego and Nicolas Jarry.
As Medvedev prepares for what promises to be an intense tournament, both he and Cervara are aware that their journey toward overcoming Sinner and Alcaraz is far from over. This ongoing battle represents more than just individual match wins; it’s about developing the resilience and adaptability required to compete at the highest level against two of the most talented young players in the world. For Medvedev, finding a way to succeed against Sinner and Alcaraz is not just a matter of personal ambition but a critical step toward sustaining his status among the elite in men’s tennis.