The most startling performances of recent months have involved revitalised tennis from Medvedev and Djokovic
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n the uncertain early stages of his Indian Wells semi-final contest with Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev swiftly made his intentions clear. Having established a 3-1 lead, he chased down a trademark Alcaraz drop shot, then a lob, before slamming the door shut on the point by firing an ultra-flat inside-out backhand winner on to the edge of the line.
This was a statement point and it formed part of the most startling performance of the year so far. Few gave Medvedev a serious chance against Alcaraz, who had won their four previous meetings, conceding just one set. It took one of the best matches of Medvedev’s distinguished career to turn the tables on Alcaraz in only two sets.
The defining question of men’s tennis this season remains whether any player can consistently put Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner under real pressure. Rather than a new emerging talent, a third man, the first steps have actually been made by the two veterans who preceded Alcaraz and Sinner as the world No 1, with Novak Djokovic producing an incredible performance in the Australian Open semi-finals to topple Sinner in five sets.
