Let his rivals take it for granted, Daniil Medvedev comes to the National Bank Open this week with the avowed ambition of successfully defending his title acquired in Toronto last year.
The 26-year-old, winner of a first title this year in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Saturday, is however aware that he will not have it easy despite the absence of headliners Rafael Nadal, package due to injury, and Novak Djokovic. He knows that the circuit’s rising young stars — Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2), Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 3) and local favorite Félix Auger-Aliassime (No. 6) — are not to be taken lightly.
“I’m always very hungry for victories, that’s why I play tennis, admitted Medvedev, Monday noon, at a press conference. We all love to play tennis, but it’s not just for the fun of hitting the ball.
“I’m very confident right now. That’s why I went to Los Cabos, because I wanted to see where I was after the clay and grass seasons, surfaces that are very different. It’s nice to be back on the hard courts to assess where you are compared to the best. I faced top players in the semi-finals and in the final against Cameron (Norrie). I feel ready for the next tournaments. »
And he explains that he has prepared very well physically for the upcoming tournaments, in particular the United States Open, where he is the defending champion.
“If you don’t prepare well enough, you’ll play one or two good tournaments, and then you risk getting injured, fatigue or something like that. I am well prepared”, explained the one who did not lose a round last week in Mexico.
The rain did not allow him to train on Monday morning, but he will have time to recover by his first match on Wednesday since, as the first seed, he benefits from a pass in the first round. He will face the winner of the first round match between Australian Nick Kyrgios and Argentinian Sebastian Baez.
Satisfaction
Medvedev may now be the world No. 1 and no longer be in the shadow of the triumvirate – Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer – who have dominated tennis unchallenged, he always approaches a tournament the same way.
“Of course, when they are entered into a tournament, I always say that they are the favorites because they have won so many tournaments. But it doesn’t change anything for me. When you play a tournament, you want to win it. I don’t care who I face in the semi-finals or the final. Of course, when you beat one of the best players in the world, Grand Slam winners, it’s always a nice feeling. But the most important thing is to win the tournament”.
“The trophy is the same no matter who you win it against. If it’s Rafa or Novak in the final, it’s a bigger challenge. It is difficult to explain. »
Given that Nadal is injured again and Djokovic is unlikely to play in the US Open due to his vaccination status, is it a goal for him to finish the year ranked No. 1 in the world?
“I’m happy to be the world No. 1. It’s a great feeling. Staying there is also great. »
But he says he doesn’t really pay attention to the calculation of the points for the classification.
“For example, during the final in Los Cabos, a journalist informed me that I was going to be the No. 1 until the United States Open. That’s great, but I didn’t know that. I’ll be happy to get as many points as possible by the end of the year and that’s what I’m going to try to do. »
A few thousand fans had to be patient before the start of the first match on central court at the IGA Stadium. Sporadic showers delayed the start of the first match between Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka and Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori by more than four hours.
And the forecasts are hardly optimistic for this first day of the main draw when rain is also expected in the evening. The organizers have programmed the appearance of Denis Shapovalov as a curtain raiser for the evening programme. The 23-year-old Ontarian faces Australian Alex de Minaur in the first round.