"Jannik Sinner & Carlos Alcaraz make the challenge very hard": Daniil Medvedev's coach on his scouting efforts to find a 'solution' to duo's dominance

Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara has opened up about his ongoing efforts to help the Russian find ways to beat Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Cervara admitted that figuring out how to overcome the duo was one of the "biggest challenges" of Medvedev's career.

Medvedev has yet to win a title this season, frequently running into problems when facing Sinner or Alcaraz in the later stages of tournaments. Although the Russian's head-to-head record against Sinner is tied at 7-7, the World No. 1 has emerged victorious in all but one of their eight most recent tour-level encounters.

The Russian has similarly struggled to challenge Alcaraz, as evidenced by the Spaniard's 6-2 winning record. The World No. 2 has triumphed in all three of their meetings this season, beating Medvedev in the Indian Wells Masters final, as well as the semifinals of the Wimbledon Championships and the China Open.

During a recent appearance on the 'Tennis Channel Inside-In' podcast, Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara candidly acknowledged that Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz posed a very difficult challenge for the Russian at this stage of his career.

"That’s true but Jannik and Carlos make the challenge very hard now," Cervara said.

Cervara also disclosed that all of his scouting efforts focused on finding a solution to help the 28-year-old beat Sinner and Alcaraz. The Frenchman disclosed that he diligently studied the duo's matches, alongside Medvedev's performances, to identify the areas of improvement and develop a well-informed game plan that would allow the World No. 5 to triumph over his rivals.

"Right now, one of the biggest challenges is to find solutions to be able to beat Sinner and Alcaraz. Right now between matches, between tournaments, I try to do a lot of work watching videos of Sinner, Alcaraz, Daniil’s match also of course, Daniil’s matches in the past," he said.

"I try to have the most information I can have and to build the plan, to think about the different things we can improve in every part of his game - tennis, physical, mental, qualitative, so many things," he added.

"I usually think of Jannik Sinner as more like a machine, while Carlos Alcaraz is more swinging with some classy shots" - Daniil Medvedev

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz (Source: Getty)

Daniil Medvedev most recently faced Jannik Sinner at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh, where the World No. 1 claimed a dominant 6-0, 6-3 victory in their quarterfinal clash.

Speaking to the press after his loss, Medvedev disclosed that while he previously considered the flashier Carlos Alcaraz as slightly better than the "machine-like" Italian at his best, he had changed his opinion after his clash with Sinner in Riyadh.

"I usually think of Jannik Sinner as a little bit more consistent, more like a machine, while Carlos Alcaraz is a little bit more, you know, swinging with some classy shots," Medvedev said.

"But when Carlos is at the top of his game, I consider him slightly better. But we're talking about peak performance. Today I changed my opinion. I've never played against someone who played like Jannik Sinner today," he added.

Daniil Medvedev might get another opportunity to face Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the 2024 Paris Masters. Following a first-round bye, the Russian will commence his campaign against Matteo Berrettini or Alexei Popyrin in the second round.

Alcaraz will take on the winner of the match between Lorenzo Sonego and Nicolas Jarry in his tournament opener, while Sinner awaits Ben Shelton or Corentin Moutet in the Round of 32.