Daniil Medvedev during his final (lost) against the Italian Jannik Sinner, in Vienna, October 29, 2023. EVA MANHART/AFP
With already 64 matches won since January, five titles (Doha, Dubai, Miami, Rome and Rotterdam) and four other finals under his belt, Daniil Medvedev is signing his most prolific season since his debut on the professional circuit in 2014. In one language of Molière which he now masters almost to perfection – he arrived on the Côte d’Azur at 18, lives and trains in Monaco – the 27-year-old Russian (world number 3) spoke for a few minutes At Monde on the eve of entering the competition at Bercy, Wednesday November 1, against the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
Also read the story: Article reserved for our Tennis subscribers: Leconte, Forget, Pioline, Tsonga… they tell “their” Bercy, between arms of honor, ice rink and “monumental fiesta”
You have been very consistent this season, with five titles and four finals, including one at the US Open. All that’s missing is a Grand Slam trophy to make it perfect, right?
I have no regrets at all. When people ask me if 2023 is my best season since the start of my career, I answer: definitely yes, if we take away the Grand Slams! But I won a Major in 2021 [l’US Open, aux dépens de Novak Djokovic] so I can’t say which of the two is more important…
After my defeat against Rafa [Nadal, à l’Open d’Australie, en 2022, en cinq sets, après avoir mené deux sets à zéro]I have had several Grand Slams where I have played less well, especially Roland-Garros this year, where I lost in the first round [contre le Brésilien Thiago Seyboth Wild, 172e mondial] even though I had high expectations. But I was able to turn things around at Wimbledon just after, by reaching the semi-finals [perdue face à Carlos Alcaraz, futur vainqueur], then at the US Open, where I had a very good match against Alcaraz. It was very important for me to show that I was capable of beating a player like Carlos, whose style of play does not suit me 100%.
For a long time, on clay, you felt “like a cow on an ice rink”. In May, in Rome, you won your first title; Was this blockage just in the head?
It’s hard to say… I don’t think it’s just in the head. there are very “pragmatic” reasons why I play a little less well on clay, but each season, we tried to test different things: playing higher, working more on sliding… I changed strings this year, not necessarily with that in mind, but I immediately knew that it was going to help me on clay. It’s all these little details put together that explain my best results.
This title in Rome, I still find it hard to believe! A fortiori a Masters 1000 by beating in the semi-final [Stefanos] Tsitsipas puis [Holger] Rune in the final. I’m going to try to use it for the future, because this season, I knew how to slide, I knew how to play… I knew how to do everything on earth. I am happy with my progress, including at Roland-Garros, because I had a good match despite my defeat.
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2023-11-01 08:03:53
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