Carlos Alcaraz will face Daniil Medvedev in the 2024 Wimbledon Championships semi-final, just like last year, but his coach warned of the matchup.
Alcaraz faced Medvedev in the Wimbledon semi-final last year, beating him in straight sets, but his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, isn't expecting as easy a match this time around.
The Russian has been playing really well, which is highlighted by his win over Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz has also been playing well, but the Spaniard certainly won't underestimate his next opponent.
His coach, Ferrero, spoke about the matchup, admitting that his protege has to take it match by match. Just because he's won the tournament in the past doesn't mean it will happen again.
"He’s feeling very good. He’s grown into it against tough players. [Frances] Tiafoe and [Tommy] Paul are difficult. He feels good and he’s managed to solve the problems that he’s faced, but now we’re very focused on the match with Medvedev, not thinking about the title."
"We can’t think much beyond Friday because that would be a mistake. Medvedev has earned the respect of all the players. So we’re approaching it with the utmost concern."
Ferrero's admission paints how seriously the team is taking this match. They know that Alcaraz is not playing as well as last year, but he's slowly starting to turn the corner. Medvedev is a challenging opponent on any surface, and even if Alcaraz had some easy wins against him in the past, his coach remains cautious.
"I think you have to learn a lot from the matches you lose because they hurt a little more and you have to pay more attention. Although you can’t forget this when you win either, the things you did badly or need to improve on. I always remind him of that."
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