AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2022

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/S. Tsitsipas

7-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Congrats. Another Grand Slam final. Did you expect the fourth set to go so quickly?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Not at all. It was a strange match. You know, with its up-and-downs for both players, I think. I think we both missed some shots we shouldn't miss. At the same time, both had good points. It was a lot of up-and-downs.

Before the fourth set, I didn't think it's going to go that fast because all the match was really, really on the edge. But I'm happy that I managed, you know, to just to close it out as fast I could the fourth one.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. People like me might describe your run in Australia as tumultuous or emotional. How would you describe it?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It's been great (smiling). It's been definitely emotional. We can talk about -- you know, it started with the match with Nick, which is just emotional in all the aspects that we can call it.

I think it started there, and this energy kept on going with different ones in every match, you know. Some match got mad with something, the Felix match was just crazy in terms of tennis and the score. Today was, I mean, our matches with Stefanos are always emotional.

Yeah, it's been a great run, and I'm happy that I have the chance for the title on Sunday.

Q. Why did you get so annoyed, angry with Stefanos and his coaching? Do you consider him to be cheating?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Oh, no, cheating, not at all. But the thing is that, well, first of all, I got broken, I got a little bit mad. I thought the referee could do a little bit better with the crowd, just to say, Quiet, please, or something like this. Didn't see him doing that often and I made a terrible double fault, got a code when I was just showing everybody that I'm cramping, I cannot toss the ball with my left hand because everybody's screaming so my serve was terrible.

To be honest, before every return his father was talking Greek. I don't know, maybe he's saying, Come on, come on, there is no problem.

But then the referee told me, I asked him if he can talk. He said he can talk but he can't coach. Then I said, Do you speak Greek? If not, the guy is talking, talking, talking. I don't know what he says, but if it's a coach -- I don't consider coaching as cheating but it should be a code violation. Then second one would be a bit tricky.

Q. "Small cat," why that reference?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, well, you see, you guys are laughing, so I think we can say it was funny, but I was definitely out of my mind, if we can say like this. Like, I was not controlling myself anymore about anything, and that's actually why I'm really happy to win, because many matches like this I would go on just to, you know, to do mistakes, because you lose your concentration a lot when you get in this heat of the moment things.

And, yeah, the next game, 15-40, started terrible, I was like, Oh, my God, I'm just completely losing the fiber of this match. I'm so happy that I managed to catch it really fast.

Q. Wondering if you ever sort of think back in regret when you've been sort of mean to chair umpires in the past, calling them stupid, calling them small cats, whatever else. It happened a few times for you. In the heat of the moment you feel these things but afterwards do you feel like you've gone too far?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I regret it all the time, because I don't think it's nice. I know that he's -- I know that every referee is trying to do their best.

But, yeah, when you are there, tennis, you know, we don't fight with the fists, but tennis is a fight. It's a one-on-one against another player. So I'm actually really respectful to players who never, almost never show their emotions because, I mean, it's tough, it's tough, because I get, I can get really emotional. I have been working on it.

So many, many matches I handle it. I think if we look back at myself five years ago when I started playing, just started playing, there was less attention on me, but I was just insanely crazy.

You know, I'm working on it. Helps me to win matches, I know. So I do regret it 100%, but again, in the heat of the moment, I just lost it.

Q. Based on what you just said, how do you view a guy like Rafa who has been around so long and really hasn't had many moments like that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, we know how Rafa's mentality in life is like. I don't know if I should call it this way, but he's like a perfect guy, you know, never -- when you ask him why he doesn't break a racquet, like always the story about the controller when he was young and Toni told him you shouldn't do it.

It's tough, you know. I know many of my friends who break controllers who don't even play tennis. But people can get mad at many things, and I feel like, yeah, Rafa, he's amazing for this. Yeah, have not much to add. He's just amazing about this.

Q. I don't want to dwell on the negative tonight but just one more question about the outburst and everything. Stefanos was asked about it when he came in earlier, and he questioned your maturity. I just wondered if you had a response to that.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, I don't want to get too much into this, because again, I was actually, not against Stefanos or during this match, nothing, and I feel like I didn't talk about him. I just talked about the rule, because again, I don't know what his father is saying. Maybe he's just saying, Let's go next point. It's completely allowed. There is no problem with it. But he's saying something in Greek just before I return, and I'm there, I feel like he's even saying him where to serve. I don't know. I don't know Greek.

Same about the umpire. He should just, I don't know, talk to Stefanos first maybe, say, I don't know, Say something to your father. If my coach would be talking in French to me before every point, even I would say, Stop it. It's not allowed.

So it was only about this. Again, nothing against Stefanos.

Q. Your fourth final. You played big three members every time. What will you take out of the previous matches into this one?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: They are really strong, huh? It's really tough to get into the final, and I always have them there waiting for me. But it's fun, you know. Again, when I was like eight, ten years old I was playing against the wall and I was imagining that it's Rafa on the other side, or Roger. Novak was still not yet there, I think.

Now I have the chance, you know, to play second time. First one was a close one, epic one. I'm gonna try to prepare well, and need to show my best, because that's what I took of the three finals that I had before, that you have to do better than 100% in order to win. That's what I managed to do in US Open. That's what I'm gonna try to do on Sunday.

Q. In the Open era, I think people haven't done well in a slam after they win their first slam. Andy Murray got to a final. No man has ever won the next one. Do you think you have dealt well with the change in your stature and the expectation that comes with being a slam champion?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, you know, I told this before the tournament, I really don't have much pressure. I know what I'm capable of when I'm playing well. I know that I can beat anybody. The same time you can lose to anybody. I mean, I almost lost to Felix. He was really close. That's how tennis is. A lot of strong players. I mean, already second round against Nick was a tight one.

But it gave me a lot of confidence in my own power, in my own tennis, that now I know that I'm capable of winning seven matches in a row and the last one against Novak was epic. So I knew before this tournament that it is possible. That's what's so far I'm trying to prove.

Again, I'm really happy that I have the shot for the title on Sunday.

Q. How do you feel about the number 21? What's your relationship to that? How do you feel having a chance to stop it being 21 again?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think it's great rivalry between them. I mean, same about Roger and Rafa, they got many times injured lately. I'm not even talking about last year, but even before. And all the time we start to hear a little bit, yeah, you know, it's over, not sure they gonna come back. Well, look at Rafa. He's there on Sunday, and was the same with Roger when he came back after the knee problems like, what is it, four years ago, something, when he started winning everything.

So it's a great rivalry. You know, I'm happy to have the chance to try to stop one more time somebody from making history. But again, just need to show my best tennis for this.

Q. Going into the match with Rafa, what would be in your mind? What would be the mindset to come up against him in the final on Sunday?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: You know, of course going to discuss tactics with my coach. But probably physical match, you know. Rafa likes to drag people into long rallies. I like it too.

I think, yeah, gonna be a great battle. But again, I remember last year's final in Australia, even if it was against a different opponent. I'm going to try to be more ready, more focused, fighting more, and give it everything I have in terms of tennis, physically, mentally.

Rafa, we know that from the first till last point he's gonna fight his best, and that's what I'm gonna try to do also.

Q. You answered Chris's question a moment ago about the No. 21. What effect does it have on you mentally when you know you're competing against someone pursuing such history?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I'll be honest, on me it doesn't. It's not me going for the 21st, not me trying to break these records. I'm going for my second one. I'm still far from all these things. I can maybe compete with other guys who have won, but I won't even name them all, I don't know who has maybe two or one.

So I'm just, you know, trying to focus on myself, doing my job. Of course, you know, I'm not lying, I know what's happening, I know what Rafa is going for, I knew what Novak was going for. I'm not gonna say, Oh, yeah, I am trying not to listen about this. But it's kind of their thing, not mine. I'm just there to try to win the final.

Q. Just to ask you again to Rafa, I would like to know, what do you think about Rafa in the history of tennis? What do you think he means for the history of tennis?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, three biggest players in the world: Novak, Rafa, Roger. All has done amazing, amazing records. Some of them has more records in total. They have all the same slams. Somebody has more Davis Cup titles, somebody has more Roland Garros, Australian Open, whatever.

Rafa, I mean, especially what he's done at Roland Garros, I really doubt somebody could ever beat this. I mean, it's harsh to say this, because, you know, there are always records that can be broken, sometimes in hundred years, in 50 years. But, you know, it can be one of the records to win so many Roland Garroses that would maybe never be broken. We all know that, yeah, a lot of records on clay maybe will not be broken. So especially on this surface it's just insane. It's just, you know, I have no words.

But on the other ones, he's really strong also. In the history again, so far one of three greatest players. I think it's going to be debate for 20 years to come, no matter even who has the most slams, who of them was better. I want to say, I mean, they're all amazing.