"If you face them 10 times, you might be able to beat them once" - Medvedev claims it is 'almost impossible' to catch Alcaraz and Sinner

Daniil Medvedev has predicted that the big two of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will once again be the dominant forces of tennis this year, with still no one able to catch up to their superior level.

These last two years have seen the pair of them assert their authority on the ATP Tour, with them claiming a lot of the biggest silverware in the sport. Most notably is their Grand Slam results. They have split the last eight major titles between them and have faced off in the final for the prior three. 

Alcaraz and Sinner have got a huge lead in the rankings, with no one coming even close to their ranking points tallies. For context, Alcaraz sits on 12,050 with Sinner just behind on 11,500. The next best is Alexander Zverev in third with 5,510 points. It is a steep crater that the duo have created, with many predicting that they will stay there for years to come and continue their imperious dominance.

The Russian was an ominous figure on the circuit for a number of years, enjoying a period of being one of the best. He is a former US Open champion, previous world number one and reached five other Grand Slam finals. 

Nevertheless, it was never dominance that Alcaraz and Sinner are enjoying, with him predicting that it will prolong in the future. "They are better than the rest, their ball power is superior to the others, they move with the same intensity as the others, they serve brilliantly," Medvedev said.  "If they maintain the consistency they displayed last year, it will be almost impossible for anyone to reach their level. The important thing is to face them as many times as possible. If you face them 10 times, you might be able to beat them once."

With the 2026 season up and running, tennis fans will have to be patient before they see Alcaraz and Sinner in action on the ATP Tour. Before they traverse to Melbourne to compete for the Australian Open, they will compete against each other in an exhibition event in Incheon, South Korea. 

For Medvedev, he will be in action at the Brisbane International, hoping to kick his 2026 campaign off with a bang in Australia. He is a previous finalist back in 2019, losing to Kei Nishikori. 

While he was on the up back then, it was looking like he was falling down the pecking order for much of 2025. He won just one Grand Slam match, and ended the year out of the top 10 for the first time since 2018 while splitting with long term coach Gilles Cervara. His form did pick up near the end of the year, ending his title drought in the Almaty Open while enjoying some deep runs in the latter Masters 1000 events. 

"I improved my performance in the final stretch of last year, and I think it's important to have kept the working team I started with a few months ago," he commented. "They are happy with my playing style, and what they aim for is to provide details that make me a better tennis player. We have worked a lot on volleys and serving during this pre-season."

Medvedev will begin the year with a tie against Marton Fucsovics in Brisbane, with this giving him the preparation to be at his best in the Australian Open, where he has been a losing finalist three times.