When Novak Djokovic won the Wimbledon title after defeating Matteo Berrettini in the finals, the whole Big-3 dynamic took a new turn as the Serb equaled Federer and Nadal’s slam tally of 20 titles. Just when Djokovic was expected to win his 21st slam title at the US Open, Daniil Medvedev pulled off a miracle by defeating the Serb in straight sets in the final.

Now, the Russian has a chance of beating Djokovic to the World No.1 spot and Indian Wells provides a perfect opportunity for that. In the absence of the Serb, Medvedev can power past his peers to clinch the title.

In accordance with the expectations, Medvedev has reached the pre-quarters after defeating Mackenzie McDonald and Filip Krajinovic in straight sets.

Daniil Medvedev praises Novak Djokovic and calls him the real No.1

Talking about the possibility of becoming World No.1, the Russian talks about how it was a dream for him since childhood.

“Since I was six I dreamed about being number one. But he (Djokovic) is the real No. 1 this year. He won three Grand Slams. That is the reality. It is one of my goals. I just need to win a hell of a lot of matches and Grand Slams”, the Russian said.

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Even at the post-match presentation in New York, Medvedev praised the Serb and mentioned that he considers him to be the greatest of all time.

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However, Medvedev winning Indian Wells alone isn’t going to be enough as he will have to defend last year’s championship points from Paris Masters as well as at the ATP World Tour Finals.

Medvedev might have to beat most of his contemporaries to emerge victorious at Indian Wells Masters

The Russian has a tough path to the title at the BNP Paribas Open. He will face Grigor Dimitrov in the pre-quarters, and either Hubert Hurkacz or Aslan Karatsev await the Russian should he progress to the quarters.

Hurkacz stunned Medvedev in the fourth round at Wimbledon this year, before the latter got his revenge by winning the last eight contest in Toronto Masters.

If the Russian manages to go past Hurkacz or Karatsev, he will most likely face Andrey Rublev in the semis and even this encounter promises to be an enthralling one. Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexander Zverev are the likeliest finalists who would be up against Medvedev.

After taking a look at the potential matchups for Medvedev, it’s evident that he has to go past all his contemporaries to win his first ever Indian Wells title and have any chance of threatening Djokovic for the year-end no.1 position.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev Is at the Level of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Says Toni Nadal