Daniil Medvedev acknowledges that he may not have the power or the most aesthetically pleasing game compared to other tennis players, but what he lacks in those areas, he makes up for with his tactical and creative approach to winning.
While all attention is focused on Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, the top two players in the world, after their thrilling matches in the Wimbledon and Cincinnati Open finals, Medvedev, ranked third, is determined to prove that he is not just competing with them, but is one of them.
“For sure, Carlos and Novak at the moment are the best two players in the world,” Medvedev told CBS Sports. “… My goal is to try to play my best, and if I play someone like Carlos or Novak, these two bring the best out of me.”
Although Medvedev trails behind Alcaraz and Djokovic in the ATP rankings, with around 9,800 points each compared to his 6,260 points, he still has a comfortable lead over other players, with the next closest being Holger Rune with 4,790 points.
“I’m somewhere there in the middle, trying to catch these guys but nobody can catch me at this moment from behind,” Medvedev said. “But I think why we love tennis is because anyone can beat anyone.
“Imagine you just fell sick this day, or something hurts a little bit more. People won’t know about it but you can lose. So we are going to see this in the US Open, everyone can have trouble, everyone can have tough matches.”
Medvedev has a 5-9 record against Djokovic in their all-time series, but he did manage to defeat the Serbian veteran in the 2021 US Open final to claim his first Grand Slam title.
In his most recent matches against Alcaraz, Medvedev suffered defeats, losing to him in the semifinals of Wimbledon this year and in the final of Indian Wells in March. However, he remains determined to improve and perform better against Alcaraz in their future matches.
Interestingly, they are both on the same side of the US Open bracket, which means that they could potentially face each other in the semifinals. Alcaraz won the tournament last year, while Medvedev was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Nick Kyrgios.
As top players in the sport, their stories often intertwine. After Medvedev’s loss to Alexander Zverev in the Round of 16 at the Cincinnati Masters, Zverev revealed that Alcaraz had given him tips on how to beat Medvedev. However, Medvedev brushed off the situation, stating that tennis doesn’t work that way and that losing is not entirely surprising, considering his close matches against Zverev.
Medvedev sees tennis as a tactical game, and he loves the challenge of finding winning strategies both on and off the court.
In addition to his tennis prowess, Medvedev is also a top player in the video game Rainbow Six Siege during his free time. He has been playing the game for eight years, accumulating nearly 3,000 hours of gameplay and reaching a Diamond ranking. Medvedev’s skills in the game have earned him the role of official ambassador for Rainbow Six Siege.
Medvedev has played against other tennis players and even some famous soccer players, proving that he is the best at Rainbow Six Siege among them all.
He attributes his competitive nature to always wanting to win, rather than simply hating to lose.
However, Medvedev does not bring his game console on tour, as he believes it would be a distraction. He wants to remain focused for the US Open and is determined to improve his recent results in tournaments. While he may not be the favorite to win the tournament, Medvedev is ready to embrace the challenge and find a way to win.
The 2023 US Open is set to take place from August 28 to September 10 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
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