During a chat with Clay Tennis on the eve of the Diriyah Tennis Cup, Daniil Medvedev addressed various topics. A little over a month after the first Slam of the season, the talented Russian took stock of the season that has just ended.
A final at Melbourne Park in January and quite an encouraging end to the season. “It wasn’t good or bad,” she explained. “The results were worse than those of the three previous years, of course, especially taking into account 2021.
However, I think I maintained a high level quite often, won major tournaments and played some spectacular matches. I think Turin was the perfect image of my season. I narrowly lost games that I could have won and that could have made a difference.
Just as I’m sure things could have been different if I had won in Australia, but I’m not one to spend too much time on the past. I always try to think about the future,” he said with great lucidity. Next, Medvedev referred to the way in which the ATP has managed the situation between Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict.
“I think they have made good decisions and have acted coherently. I was disappointed in Wimbledon because I love Wimbledon and I hope to at least make it to the quarterfinals one day. In general, I don’t know if I felt more pressure because of what happened, also because when I’m not on the track I like to be with my family and my wife.”
Without going any further, a few weeks ago -practically at the same time as Gael Monfils- the Russian was a father for the first time. “The routine changes, the days become more stressful, I am very excited about this new chapter of my life, but I don’t know if I will change my plans for it.
So far I have only played three tournaments since I became a father and my daughter has been to one of them because we were able to drive. We don’t want to catch the plane yet, anyway I’m sure fatherhood will give me more energy on the court,” he declared.
A comment about Novak Djokovic and Nadal for the Russian tennis player, who tried to outline the main differences between two of the most emblematic players in the history of this sport. As same as different.
Djokovic will be able to go to Australia
During a press conference organized in Marbella in partnership with Asics, his equipment supplier, Novak Djokovic recalled how he came to play tennis when no one in his family practiced this sport.
“Sometimes I remember why I started playing tennis when I was a kid. No one had made a sound before me in my house. Tennis was not our sport in the family (his father was a professional skier). So I fell in love with this sport by a kind of accident.
They built three tennis courts in front of the restaurant my family ran, 15 meters away. I was four or five years old and I was curious, I was interested, I watched them and I even helped the workers. I then asked my parents to tell me about this sport, I started watching it on television and I asked them to buy me a racket. That’s how it all started.”
