US OPEN

September 5, 2021

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/D. Evans

6-3, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Give us your thoughts on the match and as you now approach week No. 2 of the US Open.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, great match, because first match against Evans, and he's a tough opponent to play against, really tricky. Said a few times, but, you know, he was only player to have a match point against Stan when Stan won the title. That means something.

He's top player for many years already, so I knew I had to keep my focus from start to finish. I was serving good. I was trying to change up the game, mix up the game, and I'm really happy that I beat such tough opponent with that score and with that much energy left, I would say.

So, yeah, and feeling great before the second week. Feeling great with my tennis, my mental, my physical. Just looking forward.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. I remember after Wimbledon you said something along the lines of for the No. 2 player in the world to lose in the round of 16 is not a good result. Curious how that mentality has evolved for you? Does it make it difficult when you come into a Grand Slam and you are the favorite to get to the final, especially a year like this where most of the high seeds in your half of the draw have left?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, I always say I take it match by match. You can lose first round, you can lose final. If I play good, I know what I'm capable of. It's tough to beat me.

In Wimbledon, I was honest, I lost against a great player, Hubert is playing great. I think he's on the rise. He's going to be even better ranked and maybe he's gonna go further in slams. He beat Roger after me.

But again, I was not talking about match itself where the loss was okay, I would say. I was talking about the result in general, and fourth round is not enough for No. 2 in the world, especially I like grass more than clay, so maybe on clay I would not say this (smiling).

Yeah, it's the same every tournament. If you're top seed, if you are not in the final, let's say Cincinnati, I lost against Rublev, brutal match, really strong play from him. But if you talk about the result itself, semifinal was not good enough.

Yeah, so there is not much to add. I want to win every tournament I play in, without putting pressure on myself. Because again, I know how to win matches, and I know sometimes why I lose them, so that's just learning and being better for the next time.

Q. In what ways are you a better player now than you were last year and the year before, especially at this tournament where things are so different with the feel, et cetera?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I want to say it's tough to say where you're better. I think, yeah, the older you get the more mature you become in terms of, I'm talking only in terms of tennis. Because what's different, that if we take two years ago, I was in one more slam final, I won three more Masters, all these matches tough matches against tough opponents. Sometimes you come back, sometimes you finish in straight sets. It's experience.

Again, for example, I lost against Novak in Australian Open final. If I will have one more Grand Slam final against him, will I do better? We don't know. Will I try to do better with experience I had? For sure.

That's what's different. Again, I try to learn every time something good or bad happens. Sometimes I succeed, achieve. Sometimes not.

So, yeah, if you ask me what's better: Experience.

Q. Your next match against Botic Van De Zandschulp, he's a qualifier, not sure how much you know about him. A couple qualifiers still left, Otte and Gojowczyk. What do you make of his run and how do you prepare for that sort of unexpected quarterfinalists?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, definitely a lot of runs here, a lot of I would say surprises, maybe even more than in other slams. At the same time there are always at slams.

Botic, I saw the match today at 5-4 for him in the third, because then I went to play. I did think he's gonna finish it in three, and when I went out and they told me he just finished but he still won, wow, impressive. I saw few matches of him before, I remember he played Karen in Melbourne, had match point against him. Saw him practice a few times.

I know kind of how he plays. I know he can play good. I saw this today, especially he chose very good tactic against Diego. He was all over the place.

I'm going to prepare with my coach tactically as much as I can after. Again, if I serve well, if I play well, I know that it's not easy to play against me. He has some matches in his legs. I'm going to try to use it and try to win, yeah.

Q. Do you know how to pronounce his name? (Laughter.)

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I'll try. Botic Van De Zandschulp. Let's ask him if it's good enough.

Q. I'm thinking back to Australia and that spirited exchange you had with your coach. Have you had anything like that since then, either on the training courts? I don't think you have had it during matches. But how is your relationship now, and how did that experience, did you guys build from there, did you have a good talk about it? What was the outcome of all of that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, first of all, we've had some of this sometimes. When I say "some of this," not ten. Maybe three, four times. Maybe I would say two or three times during the matches, maybe two or three times during the practice.

I think from this moment in Australia, no, we didn't have. But again, we talked about it. Yeah, we explained to each other what happened. I mean, it was mostly me (smiling). Yeah, I explained what happened. We talked about it. Of course that's not the best thing to happen.

But again when you're with someone for 300, what, 330 days together, it can happen. You know, relationship can be good, one day it can be worse, somebody is in a bad mood or whatever, and since then it didn't happen. Again, I think we respect each other. That's the most important. We are doing a great job; me as a player, him as a coach.

Outside of the court we are easy with each other. Not much to add again. When it happens, I don't see a big deal out of it, but of course we have to talk, as two persons. As you say, build from there. Didn't happen since.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Me, I always said at least I like to argue on the court. If I think something is not fair, which sometimes is not true, sometimes it is fair but I think it's not fair so I get crazy, long story (smiling).

But with the thing, you cannot argue. You cannot get crazy. I'm not the one, you never would see me pointing there and saying, Wow, this ball is 100% out, the Hawk-Eye is wrong.

I felt quite good. There was only once in like 30 matches, where it was in Cincinnati, and we had two calls with Pablo Carreno Busta. First I said, Come on, the mark was out. But okay, I just went to the next one. It was the same for him after. I don't know if maybe the camera was not right or whatever. But that was only time out of 5,000 balls called with this electronic line system, so I like it.

Q. A broadcaster today said your name relates to bear. Is that true? And also, have you had any connection with the former French finalist Medvedev or even the former Russian leader Medvedev?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, no real connection. I saw Andrei actually few times when I was playing futures, he was there coaching some players. Then I saw him few times in Grand Slams where he was there playing legends. We didn't really have a talk or anything. He knows who I am. I know who he is. We say hi. Maybe we're gonna have a chat one time, because, yeah, he's definitely a great player.

It's funny that he has the same name. The name means "bear" in Russian. Yeah, that's easy. I don't actually really associate myself with a bear itself, with the animal, but, yeah, it means bear.

With the Russian prime minister, no connection. But it was funny when he was the president, actually, so my friends were joking about me.

Q. I think there have been 32 five-setters already at the US Open and 10 comebacks from two sets down. I wonder if you have been, first, paying attention to that, and do you think there is any reason for it? Like maybe the players are more evenly matched this year than they have been in the past?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, first of all, I saw the statistics about five-set matches and four-hours-plus matches also.

I didn't know there were 10 comebacks from two sets to Love down, because that's huge. That's really huge. 10 is a lot.

Yeah, well, have nothing to say, then. Congrats to these guys. That's tough. I only had once in my life where I managed to do it.

I think it's also that the fans are back. Because as we can see almost any match, if you're two sets to Love down, the fans go crazy for the guy who is losing because they want to prolong the match. I think we didn't have this experience for long time, so it's tougher for the one who is winning, because he's not anymore used to it and it's much easier for the guy who is losing, who is going to feed from it and just, yeah, try to give everything.

I think that's a big part, and, yeah, maybe it's also very even, but that's tougher to say, because, I mean, before was even probably two, like even 10, 20 years ago, there are a lot of matches that are going to be played and most the same rankings. I would say the fans probably.