Carlos Alcaraz isn't like Jannik Sinner. Sinner seemingly takes no player lightly. This might be because he had to go through more motions of being great than the Spaniard did. Alcaraz seemingly showed up on the ATP tour and was instantly excellent.
The surprising part is that the Spaniard seems so much more wisened than his opponent in the third round of the Cincinnati Open, Hamad Medjedovic. The truth is that Alcaraz is only two months older, and both players are just 22 years old. But Alcaraz has played a lot more meaningful matches.
Medjedovic could be the greatest Serbian player after Novak Djokovic, and he could one day compete for Grand Slams, but he first has to learn how to consistently beat players who have already reached the highest levels of professional tennis. Alcaraz has won five Grand Slams and been ranked No. 1. The Serb isn't near that level. Yet.
Carlos Alcaraz dispatches troublesome Hamad Medjedovic at the Cincinnati Open
Still, in Cincinnati, Medjedovic proved he can be disruptive. Maybe Jannik Sinner takes care of the Serb a bit easier than the Spaniard because the Italian doesn't play down to his opponents, but Alcaraz still had to earn the victory.
The first set was tight, but Alcaraz got the break to take it 6-4. This is partly because Medjedovic hasn't yet learned not to simply swing away. He struggles with touch, especially drop shots, and until he learns how to do that better, he will always have problems with players as versatile as Carlos Alcaraz.
Twice with the second set tied at 3-all but with the Serb having a chance to serve for the lead, Hamad Medjedovic attempted two drop shots and both hit the net. This was a terrible idea, and the Serb should have played to his strengths, already down a set. Instead, Alcaraz got the break to lead 4-3 on his serve. The match was basically done.
Still, Medjedovic should be proud of how he played. He hung around the match with Carlos Alcaraz, who won the match 6-4 6-4, but he doesn't have the Spaniard's versatility. The Serb should learn a great deal from the loss. Meanwhile, Alcaraz will move into the round of 16 and play the winner of the Jakub Mensik versus Luca Nardi match.