Sinner's Best Level Is Now 'Slightly Better' Than Alcaraz's Says Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev made a huge claim after his Six Kings Slam loss to Jannik Sinner: The Italian's best level is superior to Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner met Medvedev in the opening match of the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, and the world No. 1 was the favorite beforehand due to his dominant recent record against Medvedev.

After losing his first six matches to the Russian, all on hard courts, Sinner has won seven of his last eight meetings against his Medvedev. All those triumphs were on hard courts, with the sole loss coming on grass at Wimbledon.

Sinner's most dominant win against Medvedev heading into their meeting was a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of his opponent at this year's Miami Open. The six-time Grand Slam finalist made an uncharacteristic number of unforced errors in that match.

Unfortunately for Medvedev, his defeat at the Six Kings Slam was equally heavy. Sinner swept the 28-year-old aside 6-0, 6-3, and never looked in any danger of losing from the start of the contest.

What made the pair's match in Saudi Arabia different from the one in Miami was that Medvedev played quite well for lengthy periods. Sinner's ruthless hitting from the baseline simply left him helpless.

Carlos Alcaraz is the only player who has been able to match Sinner this year. They split the four Grand Slams in 2024, and the Spaniard has won their three meetings this year, including outlasting him in the China Open final.

Alcaraz and Sinner's rivalry seems destined to be among the greatest in the sport's history. Rafael Nadal does not think they should be compared to him, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, but they are in the early stages of creating their own unique rivalry.

As a result, the young duo will inevitably be compared to each other, and Medvedev made a startling admission after losing to Sinner at the Six Kings Slam. He believes the world No. 1's peak level is better than Alcaraz's, having previously thought the opposite.

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Although both men are supremely talented, Alcaraz's flamboyant shot-making might have made some assume he has the higher ceiling and that Sinner relies on the Spaniard being below his best to beat him.

Medvedev does not think that is the case. The 2021 US Open champion is known for his candid and thoughtful remarks in interviews, which makes him a good source.

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