In search of tennis loopholes: Medvedev's coach versus the Sinner-Alcaraz nexus

Russia’s tennis star Daniil Medvedev’s coach Giles Cervara has opened up about difficulty in finding ways to get the better of Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz. Both players are already regarded as two of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category.

Medvedev’s coach Cervara has been recently quoted in a report where he explained difficulties in finding ways to beat Sinner and Alcaraz. The 43-year-old further revealed that he attends matches, watches videos to construct a plan to be the two but conceded that it has been a ‘challenge’ to find loopholes in their play.

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"That’s true but Jannik and Carlos make the challenge very hard now," he said. "Right now, one of the biggest challenges is to find solutions to be able to beat Sinner and Alcaraz. Right now between matches, between tournaments, I try to do a lot of work watching videos of Sinner, Alcaraz, Daniil’s match also of course, Daniil’s matches in the past. I try to have the most information I can have and to build the plan, to think about the different things we can improve in every part of his game - tennis, physical, mental, qualitative, so many things.”

Both Sinner and Alcaraz are going through a fabulous year as both shared all the four Grand Slams this year. The reigning world number one lifted the Australian and the US Open whereas the young Spaniard won the French Open and Wimbledon titles. Sinner defeated Medvedev in the final of the first Grand Slam in 2024 in Melbourne in a five-set thriller with a score of 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3. He then lifted the US Open title in New York after beating America’s Taylor Fritz in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.

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On the other hand, Alcaraz won his first major title at the Roland Garros after beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final in a five-set thriller with a score of 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2. He then won the Wimbledon title for the second consecutive year after beating Serbia’s Novak Djokovic in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-2, 7-6.