Medvedev Shifts View: Sinner Now Tougher Opponent Than Alcaraz
Daniil Medvedev has faced both Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on multiple occasions as they ascended to the summit of men’s tennis.
Medvedev fell to Alcaraz in his latest encounter at the Vienna Open, halting a seven-match winning streak that followed his title victory in Almaty the previous week.
This marked the 10th meeting between Medvedev and Alcaraz, a head-to-head record in which he now trails 7-3.
Medvedev also finds himself behind in his rivalry with Sinner, and before his most recent match against Alcaraz, he confessed that his opinion on who presents the tougher challenge has shifted.
Daniil Medvedev now considers Jannik Sinner to be a more difficult opponent than Carlos Alcaraz.
Speaking to the Russian outlet Bolshe after his Almaty Open triumph, Medvedev addressed Alcaraz and Sinner, who remain widely regarded as the ATP Tour’s top two players despite Alexander Zverev’s rise to world number one.
The Russian acknowledged that he formerly viewed Alcaraz as the harder player to face, but Medvedev now believes Sinner poses a greater challenge.
“Alcaraz or Sinner, honestly both are tough,” said Medvedev. “A couple of years ago I’d have said Alcaraz is much tougher, now I’d say Sinner is tougher.
“Sinner, even this year, how many matches did he lose? Three, four? I played him once and actually played well, made him run, but it’s tough. With Alcaraz it still feels like there is a small chance it might not be his day. He’ll miss a bit, but out of sorts. With Sinner, in the last two years, matches like that are very rare.”
Medvedev’s remarks align with his head-to-head records against Sinner and Alcaraz. Although Medvedev secured his first-ever victory over Alcaraz, he has never held the lead in their series.
Conversely, Medvedev’s record against Sinner has undergone a complete reversal; after winning their first six encounters, he has lost 10 of their 11 matches since, highlighting the Italian’s recent improvements.
| Daniil Medvedev vs | Jannik Sinner | Carlos Alcaraz |
| Overall Head-to-head | 10-7 Sinner | 7-3 Alcaraz |
| Most recent meeting | Sinner beat Medvedev, 6-2 5-7 6-4 (Italian Open semi-final – 2026) | Alcaraz beat Medvedev, 6-4 7-6(2) (Vienna Open semi-final – 2026) |
When might Daniil Medvedev face Carlos Alcaraz at the Paris Masters?
Medvedev cannot play Sinner again this year, as the Italian has ended his season due to a knee injury, but he could encounter Alcaraz next week at the Paris Masters.
In 2020, Medvedev claimed the Paris Masters title and may need to defeat Alcaraz to win the French capital again. As the fourth seed, Medvedev receives a bye to the second round, where he will face either Ignacio Buse or Zizou Bergs.
Potential threats in Medvedev’s draw include Alcaraz, Flavio Cobolli, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. While Alcaraz is the most probable opponent if Medvedev reaches the Paris Masters semi-finals, the Spaniard has never advanced beyond the quarter-finals at this event.
The Paris Masters is one of two tournaments where Medvedev could face Alcaraz this year, as he has also qualified for the year-end ATP Finals in Turin, marking his seventh appearance after missing the event last year.
Before that, Medvedev will compete at the Paris Masters, where the main draw begins on Monday, November 2.
