Serena Williams’ ex-coach makes bold claim, says Daniil Medvedev is back as men's tennis' third man behind Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz

Daniil Medvedev has become the most talked-about name in tennis this week and it is largely thanks to Patrick Mouratoglou. The renowned tennis coach, best known for guiding Serena Williams through the peak years of her career, has gone on record declaring Medvedev back as the third force in men's tennis, capable of threatening Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at the biggest tournaments. The post went up on LinkedIn and spread fast across tennis social media.Sinner and Alcaraz have shared nine Grand Slam titles between them over the past two years, with Novak Djokovic the last player outside that duo to win a major at the 2023 US Open. The door has felt shut for everyone else. But Medvedev's Indian Wells fortnight, beating Alcaraz in the semifinals and then pushing Sinner to two tie-break sets in the final, has cracked it open again in a way few saw coming just months ago.Patrick Mouratoglou framed his thoughts around a simple question that Indian Wells had raised for everyone watching. Writing on LinkedIn, he asked, "The Third Man. Is Daniil Medvedev officially back in the Top 3 conversation?"He was not being rhetorical. He had a clear answer. "At Indian Wells, we were all watching the same question. Not just who would win the title, but who, right now, can really challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz? Daniil gave a very strong answer. He beat Carlos in the semifinal. Then he pushed Jannik in the final in two tie-break sets."Mouratoglou noted that a third man does not have to exist. "First, let's say something clearly. There does not have to be a third man. Maybe there will be one, maybe there will be four, maybe the next big challengers will come from the younger generation. But if we look at the players who can challenge Sinner and Alcaraz right now, Daniil is one of the names that stands out to me. Why? Because his level is back very high."The coach pointed to confidence as the key factor in Medvedev's revival. "Six months ago, we were not really having this conversation. He was far from his best level. Now, it is different. And even Carlos said after losing to him that he had never seen Daniil play like that. Daniil disagreed. And I think his answer was very interesting. He basically said: I play at that level when I am very confident. That is the key. Confidence. And I think right now, he has found it again."On the technical side, Mouratoglou added, "What makes him such a problem for the best players? His serve, first of all. Unbelievable. His movement, still exceptional. The depth of his shots. This is one of the most underrated parts of his game. He plays so deep and so flat that he controls rallies in a very particular way."He closed with a verdict that summed up exactly where Medvedev stands right now. "Could he have won the final? Yes. He was 4-0 up in the second-set tie-break. He had opportunities. So even if he lost in straight sets, this final confirmed something for me: He is back at a level where he can seriously challenge the two best players in the world. Is he as good as Jannik and Carlos today? Maybe not. But I do not think he is that far. And that is already a big statement. Because when Daniil is serving like this, moving like this, and playing with this level of confidence, he becomes a real threat again."Medvedev heads to the Miami Open with a return to the ATP top 10 already confirmed. The question now is whether he can turn a promising Indian Wells fortnight into something even bigger on the Florida hardcourts.