Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz seem to be the two names that most people are looking forward to at Flushing Meadows. While both of them have been able to duke it out in previous grand slam majors an old contender has been on the rise. Daniil Medvedev, currently ranked third in the ATP rankings, has proven that he has the grit and skills to steal the US Open trophy. He further solidified his case against Attila Balazs.

Early matches in Flushing Meadows tend to be one of the loudest. This is able to hype up both players on opposite sides of the court which makes matches longer. This did not affect Daniil Medvedev in his quest for a grand slam trophy. The third-best player in the world made light work of Attila Balazs. He only dropped two games throughout the whole matchup. The game ended with 6-1, 6-1, and 6-0 scorelines.

Medvedev could not believe how fast his victory came in his post-game interview, via Brian Mahoney of AP News. “That’s probably the fastest three-set match I played,” he said. The Russian player also added that Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz might just see him in the higher rounds of the US Open, “Of course, we know that the biggest, let’s say, players right now are Carlos and Novak. But, well, they have to win their matches also to meet me, if I’m there. Same works for me.”

Will he be able to catch up with the Spaniard and Serb for a grand slam victory?