“Never Underestimate the Third Guy” – Daniil Medvedev Predicts the Rise of a New Big Three with Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz

Daniil Medvedev, the former world No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion, has forecasted the emergence of a new “Big Three” in men’s tennis, featuring Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz as the dominant duo, but with a surprising “third guy” rising to challenge them. In an exclusive interview with the ATP Tour on August 9, 2025, Medvedev drew parallels to the Federer-Nadal era, stating, “Jannik and Carlos are playing incredible, they’re the best two right now, a level above everyone else… But never underestimate a third guy who is going to come and challenge them,” as reported by and . Medvedev, now ranked No. 5 with a 29-14 record in 2025, emphasized that this third player could disrupt the current landscape, much like Novak Djokovic did in the 2000s.

Medvedev’s prediction is rooted in the extraordinary dominance of Sinner (No. 1, 45-10 record) and Alcaraz (No. 2, 48-6 record), who have won four of the last five Grand Slams, including Sinner’s 2025 Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, and Alcaraz’s French Open victory. Their head-to-head stands at 8-5 for Alcaraz, with recent clashes like Sinner’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 Wimbledon win snapping Alcaraz’s five-match streak against him, per . Medvedev, who lost to Sinner in the Toronto semifinals (6-4, 7-5), acknowledged their superiority but warned of an inevitable challenger, saying, “Medvedev is speaking from experience as he was often the ‘third guy’ trying to break through,” per .

Potential candidates for the “third guy” include Alexander Zverev (No. 3, 35-14 record, 2025 Australian Open final), Holger Rune (No. 9, 24-18, Barcelona title), or Medvedev himself, with his 20 titles and 80% hard-court win rate (192-48), per . Fans on X speculated wildly, with @TennisUpToDate2 suggesting Rune, fresh off his 50th Masters 1000 win, while @UbiTennisEng pointed to Zverev’s consistency, per . Medvedev’s own resurgence, including a Cincinnati quarter