The champion of the 2021 US Open emphasized the impressive start that Alcaraz has had in his career and stated that it is still too early to draw any firm conclusions about the 20-year-old.
Medvedev and Alcaraz have competed against each other on five occasions, with the Spaniard holding a 3-2 advantage. He has emerged victorious in three out of their four meetings in 2023.
Alcaraz has already accomplished remarkable feats, including winning two Grand Slam titles and becoming the youngest player to attain the ATP world No 1 ranking after his triumph at the 2022 US Open.
The world No 2 has faced more challenges since his sensational victory at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships in July, which remains his most recent title. The Spaniard reached his only final since winning at the All England Club during the Cincinnati Masters in August.
Last month, the 20-year-old was defeated by Alexander Zverev in four sets during the quarter-finals of the 2024 Australian Open. Currently, he is participating in the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires, where he is set to face Nicolas Jarry in the semi-finals on Saturday.
During an interview with Eurosport, Medvedev discussed the progress of his young rival and shared an interesting story about when he first noticed Alcaraz’s talent.
“At such a young age, he started off in an extraordinary manner. Becoming the youngest world No 1 in history speaks volumes. That’s why now, when he is experiencing a slight dip in his performance and losing a few more matches, people are starting to speculate that he may have lost some confidence,” stated the world No 3.
“He’s still only 20 years old, very young, so it’s natural that he will experience ups and downs in his career. However, his talent is truly remarkable. We recognized it immediately when he joined the tour.
“I remember when he was ranked around the top 100 and was practicing with [Andrey] Rublev. Andrey is known for his powerful shots, but at that time, I thought ‘wow, Alcaraz hits the ball even harder.’ This guy has great potential.
“It will be interesting to see how he handles the various aspects that come with being successful in tennis, such as numerous sponsors and increased attention. Some players handle it with ease, while others feel the pressure and respond differently. In my opinion, he is still too young to draw any definitive conclusions, so let’s wait and see how he progresses in the future.”
According to the Source tennis365.com