(Paris) On the strength of his first title on clay won last week in Rome, the Russian Daniil Medvedev (2e world) admitted Friday, two days before the start of Roland-Garros, to have “more expectations” than in previous years.
“I may have higher expectations than usual at Roland-Garros, but I know it can be a trap. You have to be able to use that confidence, but without being too sure of yourself,” he said.
His fear? Finding yourself in difficulty from the first round, because, then, “you get angry and you miss the match”.
I have been in this situation many times before. I just want to play good tennis here.
Daniel Medvedev
The Russian will play his first game on Monday or Tuesday against a player from qualifying. Among them, his compatriot Aslan Karatsev (62e) plays the role of scarecrow.
Medvedev’s change of mind upon arriving in Paris is largely due to his recent Rome Open title.
“I won against fantastic players, Zverev, Tsitsipas, Rune, Zapata Miralles and Ruusuvuori who played three sets against Alcaraz in Madrid… it’s a fantastic feeling,” he recalled.
Medvedev had to wait for his fifth participation, in 2021, to win his first match in the Major on clay, a surface he said he hated a few days ago. In 2021 he was beaten in the quarter-finals by future runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas and last year left the tournament in 8are finals, eliminated by Marin Cilic.
His chances are all the more important this year as as world No.2, he was certain not to be able to cross paths with No.1 Carlos Alcaraz before the final, and that fate placed Novak Djokovic on the the Spaniard’s road and not his own.
The tournament also takes place without the master of the place Rafael Nadal, titled 14 times.
“It is certain that the tournament will be different this year. Without Nadal, it will surely be different. There may be a new winner. With him, we had less chance of winning,” said Medvedev.