Daniil Medvedev came close to winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title since 2023 at this year’s Indian Wells Open.
Medvedev reached the final in ‘Tennis Paradise’ after beating Carlos Alcaraz, but ultimately fell to the Spaniard’s rival, Jannik Sinner.
Sinner triumphed over the Russian in straight sets to win his first tour-level crown of the season, and 25th overall.
Is Daniil Medvedev the best player in the world other than Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now?
If not, who do you consider to be ahead of him?
Despite the loss, Medvedev said there was one shot that was working for him incredibly well: his backhand.
Daniil Medvedev discusses his level compared to Jannik Sinner
Discussing in an interview with Bolshe what is separating him from Sinner and Alcaraz, Medvedev responded: “Well, if I take yesterday and today, probably not in much, maybe I was even better in some things than Carlos.
“With Jannik, I probably wasn’t better than him in anything, but I was close to his level. I served better than Carlos, but Jannik served much better than me and better than anyone I’ve played this year.
“My backhand was good, maybe even better than Jannik’s. And in the rallies, it was close, but he served so well, and that wears you down; you get tired.
“I think it was similar for Carlos yesterday. So what they’re better at is consistency. They play like that all year; I have more dips.
What will Daniil Medvedev’s ranking be at the end of the 2026 season?
Could Medvedev make a return to the top five?
“I’ve always said that to beat them, you need to be at your best level, like I was yesterday and today, and they need to be maybe just a little bit off their best.
“I don’t know what Jannik thinks about his level today. Carlos yesterday wasn’t at his best, but that’s normal. You can’t play at your best level all the time.
“Their best level appears much more often during the season than mine.”
Daniil Medvedev says if he is back to his ‘prime’ level
Asked if it feels like he is currently playing at the same level as he was in 2019 and 2021 during his prime, Medvedev said: “It does, but even back in those years, it could disappear for a tournament.
“Like in Doha or Rotterdam, for all sorts of reasons, there can be many, and it can just come back as suddenly, almost accidentally.
“Before Dubai, I couldn’t put a single ball inside the court. It was probably worse than in Rotterdam. Probably similar to how I felt before the US Open in Cincinnati. I was thinking, okay, what’s going on?
“Then in Dubai, I suddenly found something, some confidence. So naturally, in Miami, I’ll try to keep that. And usually when I catch that wave, it works for me.
“But again, in 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2023, there were matches, tournaments, moments where it all disappeared. I just have to keep working, keep trying.
“The more often you can catch that wave, like here and in Dubai, the higher you climb in the rankings, the more chances you’ll have to beat Carlos, Jannik, and other top players. And that’s exactly what I’ll try and do in Miami next week.”
Medvedev reentered the ATP top ten with his run to the final in Indian Wells.
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