ROLAND GARROS

June 6, 2021

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/C. Garin

6-2, 6-1, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think you know about playing on clay now that you didn't know in years past? What have you learned?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, I learned that Roland Garros, I need to play like on hard courts because is bouncing low and fast. I don't know if it was like this before and I was just unlucky with the draw. Also I like the balls. Said a lot of times. Really like the balls here.

Definitely what I learned, that I can move really well on clay. For this I need to have good shots. If you don't have good shots, good players on clay, they start to move you all around the court and you have no chance to get back into the point. That's what was happening in many tournaments many times.

As I say, here I'm able with these balls, with these conditions, to make shots that not going to let my opponent attack me straightaway. Then I can take control of the game and be a great mover on clay. That's one part that I learned.

Q. Now we know that we cannot trust you any more, when you will say that you're not good on grass, not good on clay. We will expect everything else from you. I don't trust you any more, whatever you say. I don't know if I should listen.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I understand your point (smiling).

The thing is that when I said this, I was following up with the results. It was 0-4 here in Roland Garros, I was losing in Madrid, Rome, I lost Hamburg. I lost Roland Garros last year. I was on a big streak of not so many won matches on clay, so it was true.

This week, I said it before the week, that I was feeling really good, I was looking forward to make great result. So, yeah, you should trust me (laughter).

Q. Can we say that it's the beginning of a love story between you and Roland Garros?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Hopefully. I can never know the future, but I hope so. I hope that I can come many years in a row here, make great results, maybe win it one day. Just, yeah, interact with the public because I can speak French.

Hopefully, yeah, that's definitely a better feeling than losing the first round, going home on Tuesday like I think two or three times I lost here Sunday. It's not a good feeling. I hope it's going to be better with every year.

Q. You lost to him the last time you played a couple of weeks ago. What do you think made the difference today?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Conditions. In Madrid, even if I was not playing bad, I felt that any shot could go somewhere where I don't want. You can make mistakes. I had only one breakpoint in the first game on his serve, and that was my only breakpoint in the match. I was missing the returns because I didn't feel confident in my shots and in my game.

Here, as I say before every match, to beat me the opponent needs to play good. First two sets, he didn't play good, so it was in my favor. Third set he started playing better, he could win it. Was a tight set, tight encounter.

Straight from the beginning of the match I could almost return every ball in the court. Cristian's serve is not unbelievable. It's quite good, but it's not unbelievable. It makes a difference.

I made like, I think I saw 14 aces maybe, I don't remember the exact number. Yeah, so I could have easy points on the serve, he couldn't. It's tough to play like this.

Q. Can you comment on Roger Federer's withdrawal, please. Also talk about the difference between getting a lot of matches before a Grand Slam tournament and not getting many. It's a long haul to win seven matches. Do you have thoughts on that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, talking about matches before the Grand Slam, it's always a tough question. I think if you are outside of top 30, stuff like this, you know you always want to play good tournament, it's usually a 250 before a slam. You want to play a good tournament to get the confidence going.

I had actually one time when I made third round of US Open, which was the best result so far. I won Winston-Salem the week before. I was in big confidence, it helped me a lot.

The higher you go up the rankings, the more you start to understand how you need to prepare a slam, the more you know how to get you back in shape for important tournaments. That's when you don't want to maybe lose too much energy on playing the tournament before.

Of course, if there is a tournament in your hometown and you dream to win it - we know what I'm talking about - that's an exception. I think if there would be, I don't know, Lyon and Geneva, Novak would not play it.

Talking about Roger, yes, when I went to sleep yesterday at 11:30, they were still in the third set. I don't know who was going to win. It was a great match. But Roger is going to feel definitely painful after this match. He's 39. He didn't have a lot of matches this year. So I think his body is suffering.

Of course, we all know that a Grand Slam is still a goal for him. I think Wimbledon is always, even when he will be 50 years old, is a great chance for him. He wants to do his best to prepare.

Here, I mean, after such a match, it would be tough for him to play top guys.

Q. Does it change your mindset at all to finally be in a Grand Slam with Rafa and Novak on the other side of the draw? As you made it through this first week, is it something where you are not thinking about them? Is it different?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It's both together. I think Novak and Rafa, they proved so many times that they are such great champions, especially in Grand Slams, that of course the further you encounter them, the better. That's the case. That's just how it is.

So having them on the other part of the draw, I think me, Tsitsipas, Zverev, we are all happy in a way because we know we can make final without seeing them, then get the chance to beat them in the final, which is the best chance possible.

Especially talking about Rafa, he won 13 times here. He barely loses a set. The further you meet him, the better. Maybe somebody can try to beat him before, it's always good for you, I think.

Playing Stefanos in quarters, by the results this year on clay, he's definitely in top three, top four, together with Sascha, Novak, and Rafa on clay.

I'm really looking forward to this match and what I can propose him.

Q. Picking up on what you were asked regarding Roger, do you think it's fair that he receives criticism for withdrawing? There's been some mumblings around that either he's not done the right thing by winning that match and then withdrawing from the tournament, denying one player a chance to go further. Considering what you just said about him, what are your thoughts? Do you think it's fair or unfair?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think it's a tough topic because, yeah, it's always a question where straight after the match he says he is probably going to retire. Then Koepfer is there, losing a tight match, maybe saying, Well, I could have done better maybe after.

At the same time tennis is brutal. If Koepfer wants it to be in the next round, sorry, he needed to beat Roger. It doesn't matter if he retires after. That's how tennis is, to be in the next round, you need to beat your opponent.

I think also the question, of course we're talking about the fatigue, but we never know. Again, Roger is 39. Maybe after the match he worked with his physio and he felt the pain in his knee or something where he had the surgery. Then he knows that maybe he's going on the next match, he's going to hurt himself and not be able to play for some time. That's what you also know with experience. That's when younger players can do mistakes sometimes.

I think all together, me, I don't see why he should be criticized. At the same time I understand people who do it. Me, I won't criticize him.

Q. In tough situations some players get defensive. When you face a tough situation, whether it's the crowd booing you or you're playing on a surface you've said you hate, you laugh and joke and you tackle the situation head on. How do you manage to often find the funny side and feel positive when you face such a big challenge?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, first of all, to be honest, life is easier when you are positive. If you are able, sometimes after the loss - of course after some time, not straightaway - but maybe laugh about what you did wrong or something, I think it's a great case.

At the same time talking about me, it's not always the case. Sometimes I get angry. Sometimes I get mad with myself. I can be disappointed for some days. I don't fall into depression after losing, but I can be disappointed with myself. I think it's the right balance.

As I say again, I think life is much better if you're positive, no matter what happens. If you won 20 Grand Slams or zero, I think, yeah, it's easier to live when you are positive. That's what I'm trying to do as much as I can. It doesn't work that easy.