AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 15, 2022

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: You've been in Australia for quite a while. Unfortunately Team Russia could not defend the ATP Cup title, but still had some good matches. How do you feel before the first Grand Slam of the season?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it was a fun week. Talking about my individual performance there, lost the first match, managed to win the other three against tough opponents. So was a good preparation. The match I lost was a very close one. Could have turned either way. Actually I had break in all the sets. Should have just served a little bit better.

Had a lot of time to prepare Australian Open. Still have a few days ahead actually, two days more, to prepare well. Of course, you never know before the first match what's going to happen. But I'm feeling ready physically and mentally. That's the most important. That's when I can play good and beat anybody.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How different does it feel being at a slam as a Grand Slam champion?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: To be honest, not much exactly at a slam itself. I would say that it gave me more confidence to any tournament that I played afterwards. Sometimes before the tournaments I could be a little bit - sorry, I forgot the word - a little bit concerned if I was not playing well, let's say, two days before the tournament, I would lose a practice set, I would be concerned, a little bit nervous, sometimes angry.

It did change this. Now I feel like I know even more what I can do, how I can play, what I have to do to play like this. Of course, tennis is about ups and downs. Never again, we never know what's going to happen.

In general this gave me, US Open title, a lot of confidence I want to say in my life and in my tennis life as well.

Yeah, definitely here the same. I'm feeling much more confident than last year in terms of knowing my game, what I'm capable of. But I don't think it means anything for the title itself.

Q. There's obviously a lot of uncertainty about whether Novak Djokovic will play. Your career has been linked with his over the last 12 months. Does that affect your state of mind at all?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I mean, yeah, let's see tomorrow I guess. Tomorrow we're going to know a little bit more because it was definitely different decisions last few weeks.

I want to say about Novak's situation that we're in Australia, it's their rules. But from what I know, again, if he has a valid exemption to be in this country and to do what he wants, then he should play. If the exemption is not valid or something else is not valid, well, any country can deny your entry.

I know yesterday the prime minister, let's say, said no. I didn't really read anywhere why. That's what interests me to know, the reason. Is it just he said, I don't want? Is there a real legal reason behind this? I guess we're going to know a little bit more tomorrow at the appeal.

Definitely a tough situation for everybody. Talking about myself, well, even if Novak is in the draw, I can only see him in the final. At least, yeah, I need to win six matches before this. It would not change much my preparation for the tournament itself or for any match.

Q. Have you had any contact with him?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I haven't, no.

Q. A video from when you were a teenager in Russia, talked about your believe in yourself and the belief of the generation of Russians coming through at the time. Did you think it would happen as quickly as where we are now? Are you proud to be fulfilling what you were predicting back at that stage?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it was definitely cool that it happened. I remember well this interview actually. I don't remember everything in it, but I remember this part.

Yeah, in this moment I was talking about me, Karen, Andrey and actually Roman. Actually this tournament I beat Roman in semifinals and I won the great one. Was good times. Yeah, we were strong in juniors. Of course, probably going to find many interviews of guys that are going to say this and that it didn't happen. For us it happened.

Roman showed in ATP Cup what level he's capable of playing. I think if he continues the good work he's doing and no injuries, because he had some in his career, he can be the top level. He beat Arthur Rinderknech, and he is in the final this week.

Yeah, the more Russians we see in the top 10, top 30, top hundred, the better. Yeah, my words were right about our generation (smiling).

Q. What was that tournament?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I would not remember the year, but I was 17 years old.

Q. Where was it?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was in Berlin, a great one after Wimbledon on clay. I actually won it (smiling).

Q. The diligence with which you're playing, is it something that is all-consuming for you?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was always different. There were some years in my juniors career where I was still not sure if I'm going to become professional or not, so I was doing more school stuff, university stuff, maybe practicing less. Then I started thinking more about tennis. But then, yeah, I was young, so I could do other stuff that would disturb to reach my top potential.

At one moment when I was I think 21 and I started working with Gilles full-time, I decided to not try to be more concerned about my tennis career, to be more into it, to change some small details which could make me feel worse physically or mentally, and that could affect my results on the tennis court.

I kind of made a deal with myself that if it will not work out, maybe I won't do it anymore. But it did work out straightaway and after this I only continued doing it.

Q. You mentioned the ATP Cup. You ended up having to play a lot of doubles matches. You've often joked about not being a good doubles player. Was there anything you learnt from the doubles that you would apply to singles?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Doubles is always good to especially I think improve your volley skills. Well, I don't do serve and volley or something like this in doubles. Yet when my partner is serving, I still have to be there. I felt like I had some pretty good moments at the net.

We had a really good time there in Sydney with all of the team. I mean, we won three doubles out of four, and the fourth one we were definitely close to winning this one also. Had a good connection with Roman. In the beginning of the tournament even I would not think we could win the title because I didn't trust in myself in doubles, to be honest.

Straight especially after second match against Australia, more after we beat Italy, because for me they were the top favorites after Andrey was out, I was like, Wow, we actually can do it. It's not going to even be a dream come true. It's just going to be a good result for us.

We didn't manage to do it, but that's what tennis is about. It's about victories and defeats. It was a really close match both for Roman and our doubles.

I would say, yeah, it's more that it's going to stay in my memory. It's the first time in my career I had to kind of be the real leader of the team. When I say 'the real leader' is that as soon as I become the No. 1 in Russia, I always had Andrey and Karen behind me who were really close to being at the level I am, so I didn't have to bring them up, they were up by themselves.

Here I had Roman behind me. We tried with all the team to help him a lot. It definitely worked out. It was a great experience for me.

Q. The tennis version of 'Drive to Survive' that they're going to make. First of all, did you watch 'Drive to Survive'? Do you think it can work in tennis? Will you be taking part?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I watched all the three seasons. I like Formula 1 before watching it, so I'm not like I watched it and now I'm a Formula 1 fan. It's really cool.

We can never know how it's going to work out in tennis. We can only know after the first season is out. But I think it's exciting Netflix in general, let's not even talk about documentaries or sport, is doing good things. I think it's great to bring more fans to the sport, to try at least, more younger generation maybe, they can see the inside a little bit.

It's just really great for sport I think, for all of us. So I see no negatives at this moment.

Q. Will you take part in it or you haven't decided?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I haven't decided yet because, of course, it's going to depend what does it mean. Does it mean being in my house or just at my practice? I haven't decided yet.

Q. Earlier in the week Andy Murray was saying how much he enjoys watching you play. His main hope is the next wave of slam champions in this transition period, that they do what you did, that is to beat one of the big three to win their major. What are your thoughts on that? Does it make it that much sweeter when you beat one of the big three?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Actually I do read quite a lot of interest but I didn't see this one. I'll have to read it later.

Yeah, it's nice to hear these words from somebody like Andy, such a champion. He's playing in the final today. Let's see how he does against Aslan.

Yeah, it's great to hear this. Of course, we all know that the big three are getting older, yet they are still winning a lot of slams. Every tournament that they're in, they are the favorites. That's why there is this thing called the 'big three' and the 'big four' before.

Talking about others, I know by myself that no matter if you're playing the big three or anybody else, it's really tough. For example, last year in the end of the year, starting from Olympic Games, Sascha become really a big force, won a lot of tournaments. I mean, the last match in the year against me.

It was always like this when somebody big is quitting the sport or is starting to get a little bit less good. They're always saying, What's next? There is nothing coming. Yet there is always somebody or something to come. I'm sure it's going to be the same.

Q. What have been your thoughts during the saga of Peng Shuai and what would you hope to see the tennis world do on her behalf?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, was not easy for anyone to see a person missing in a way. I saw some interviews of her. Of course, situation is not easy. Nobody except her can know what she lived and what actually happened. That's why I don't really want to comment too much on it.

I just hope that she's safe and is feeling good mentally, physically, whatever it means. And this only she can tell us.

Q. Did you make any changes at all to your team during the off-season? Is that a part of your off-season assessment of where things are? Do you need to make any sorts of those changes? What is your general philosophy about the importance of that group you have around you?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: The group around me is really important, my team. I like all of them. Changes is a part of life where it will happen sooner or later for different reasons. Sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for bad reasons.

I haven't made any changes this off-season. But of course, that's actually a good question because definitely the pre-season, the off-season, is the moment where if something is going to change, that's the moment because usually you're not going to want to during the season disturb something, especially that is working and was definitely working.

Same, you know, till I'm improving, I don't see any changes except maybe adding someone new to the team which didn't happen during the pre-season yet.

But, yeah, till I feel that both me and my team were all working to improve, especially of course improve my tennis results on the court, that's what I want to see from them and that's what they want to see from me.

I think so far both ways, it was working pretty well.