Daniil Medvedev has played very little tennis since the start of the season. That’s why he arrives in Montreal with an insatiable desire to win.
Posted at 2:19 p.m.
In the spring, he missed six weeks of activities due to a groin injury. Then, due to his Russian nationality, he could not participate in the Wimbledon tournament. He still won a title just a few days ago in Los Cabos, Mexico. In addition to having made three finals, including at the Australian Open in January.
Nevertheless, it’s unusual for the Russian to have so few titles in one season. The imponderables did not work in his favor, and he is now ready to win the National Bank Open for a second consecutive year.
“I’m always hungry for wins!” That’s why I play tennis, ”said Medvedev with a smile, in perfectly perfect French, at a press conference on Monday noon.
We all love tennis, but we don’t just play to hit the ball, we all want to win. That’s why I play, that’s why I train.
Daniel Medvedev
Medvedev is happy with his most recent performances, even after a complex streak on clay and grass. His victory in Los Cabos confirmed to him that he was ready to compete on hard courts.
The new king
At 26, Medvedev claims 14 titles, but most importantly, he achieved the impossible by breaking the historic Big Three streak by becoming number one in the world rankings in February. He was predestined to take the throne sooner or later because of his performance, consistency and versatility.
However, he does not hide it, it is impossible to tamp Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer out of hand. After all, the first three major tournaments of the season were won by members of the famous infernal trio.
“I’ve always said they’re the favourites, because they win a lot of tournaments, so it’s easy to put them as favourites,” he said.
The 6’6″ tall man, however, showed he could have the best of these sporting giants last year, beating Djokovic quite easily in the US Open final to end the Serbian’s chances. to win the grand slam. “In the final, I was 300% ready,” he said, also revealing that he still had difficulty digesting his defeat in January against the Joker in Australia.
I arrived with 21 straight wins, I was full of confidence, on cloud nine. I had done all the routine I usually do and in the end Novak won easily.
Daniel Medvedev
“After the match, I wondered how it was possible. I was doing so well and finally there was something missing for me, ”he said.
Defend your titles
If Medvedev wants to win the Montreal tournament, he also wants to prepare adequately to defend his title in New York. Usually, when he plays well in the North American preparatory tournaments, it goes well at the US Open.
“I always played well at the US Open when I played the tournaments before. I can feel the pitches that are in North America very well, I can feel the balls very well, so it’s always important for me to feel confident. »
Medvedev is the favorite in Montreal and will be in every tournament he takes part in as world number one. And it could go on for a while longer.