MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 2, 2021

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You missed Monte-Carlo after testing positive for COVID-19. What symptoms did you experience, and do you feel fully recovered now?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I feel fit, that's the first thing, because otherwise I would not come here. I would try to recover better and maybe go to Rome or (indiscernible).

So I felt some sickness symptoms. It was like a strong cold, you know, or something like this. Had some nose and throat blocked a little bit, weakness for few days but not more than that.

Coming back was not easy first four, five days especially after, you know, laying ten days in your bed at home also.

I feel like I had a good one week and a half of practice. I just won doubles, so everything seems positive. Of course looking forward to play here.

Q. Welcome to Madrid. I want to know what are your feelings arriving here, your memories? You never won a match here, and I think that you are confident to try it this year?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, for sure. That's the goal. You know, I always said for me it's always step by step. So the goal actually for all three tournaments, Rome, Roland Garros, and Madrid, is to at least win one match in each of them. You know, step by step.

Of course when I come to the tournament, the main goal is to win it. It's tougher on clay than on hard court, so will adjust, yeah, try my best, hope to show some good tennis, because that's the most important. When I show good tennis I can win some great matches.

Q. You mentioned you got a week and a half in of some practice on clay, and you just had a doubles win. How are you feeling on the court? Is Marcelo okay after taking that serve to the back of the head? Are you guys still friends?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, that was amazing because I felt like my serve was going in, so I don't know if I was a little bit too much in the middle or him. I was really surprised when the ball, it seemed like it went back to Barcelona or somewhere.

It was a tough moment, you know, because he made a tough joke. When he went up he said that he can only see with one eye, so I was really scared, both for him and for me. I mean, I don't want to feel these emotions. Then he said that he was joking (smiling).

But, yeah, I'm feeling good. You know, of course will be a little bit tougher than other guys. You know, for example, I will be playing maybe Davidovich or (indiscernible). Davidovich played like five tournaments on clay already. I played zero.

I definitely need to win some matches to just get this feeling of winning matches on clay, because that's the most important.

Q. I would like to know why is clay so tricky for you? Do you ever think that your relationship with clay will change? What must happen that it will change someday maybe?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't think it will change, to be honest. It's just about play on clay. I think my shots, my movement, my physical appearance doesn't suit clay, because to be honest, first week I come on clay, because, yeah, I play on hard courts or grass courts for, let's say, eight months in a row, and then I have this clay court season for two months, maybe one month and a half. First week when I come on clay I hate everything around me. I just hate to be on the court, and that's very rare for me.

Then I get used to and it starts to be better. The big thing that motivates me is that I know that I'm capable to win matches. Two years ago I beat some really good guys. Was in really good shape. So I know that I'm capable. Just need to always find this confidence and this feeling which is tougher for me to find on clay than on hard courts.

Q. I would like to know how the conditions of altitude can help your game this week.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think that can help, because of course still Rafa won many times here and stuff like this, but it's, I would say, it's more comparable to hard courts here in Madrid because the clay is fast, altitude, serve goes fast. In the results and in the game we can see that guys maybe who can suffer a little bit on clay here can play better.

So, yeah, that's also one of the things that makes me feel more comfortable before the tournament. After, it's always the same thing that the first match is a first match. Depending how you do in it, that's where you feel if you're confident or not.