Alcaraz & Sinner Make Other Players Overlooked According To Stubbs

Alcaraz & Sinner Make Other Players Overlooked According To Stubbs

by Nurein Ahmed

Daniil Medvedev has gained admiration and respect from former Australian player Rennae Stubbs in the wake of his defeat in the Indian Wells final.

For the second year in a row, Medvedev was stopped in the championship match in California by World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. The Russian was in superb form during the fortnight, as he quelled three top-20 players to reach the final.

But he was outplayed by a resurgent Alcaraz, whose muscular groundstrokes and quick feet proved a major difference. Medvedev, who fought two battles during the match, including one with a crowd that largely supported the Spaniard, showed his bravery and resilience.

It's easy for partisan atmospheres to turn a blind eye to an opponent's sheer determination when their favorite is winning. Stubbs, a player-turned-pundit, emphasized this during a recent episode of the Racquet's Rennae Stubbs Podcast.

"I have so much respect for him. I know he gets a little bit sloppy on the courts, at times, yesterday he was egging the crowd on... it's a little tough for him because people love [Carlos] Alcaraz so much that they don't give [Daniil] Medvedev any credit in a lot of ways."

Stubbs praised Medvedev for his warrior-like mentality and noted that he was in a similar predicament in the Australian Open final, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. According to the 52-year-old, such strengths deserve recognition.

"It's so hard to watch sometimes, same in the Australian Open, with [Jannik] Sinner. It's like, he doesn't get as much love as I think he deserves, and he does deserve it. Because he's such a warrior, I like him as a player."

Having already lost two finals this season and dropped down a spot to World No. 4, Medvedev will head to the Miami Open looking to defend his title. It is imperative he does well in Florida, especially with the clay-court swing just around the corner—a surface he dislikes.

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