US OPEN

September 4, 2022

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

N. KYRGIOS/D. Medvedev

7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Daniil, what were your thoughts on the way Nick elevated his game and what do you think the difference was tonight?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, Nick played good. I mean, it was pretty even till the third set, then he got a little bit the better of me.

Physically I started feeling little bit worse in the third set, so I think that was a little bit the key. I don't know how he was. Maybe he was also. Yeah, physically I started just feeling a little bit more tired.

It's a pity because today I felt a little bit sick. I mean, the thing is in USA I get sick once time for sure in the swing because the AC is just crazy. Last year it happened in Cincinnati. So that was a good thing because, I mean, usually you don't get sick two times in two, three weeks.

I mean, the thing is that in the lounge or somewhere I can cover myself. But even in the locker room, I don't know in Fahrenheit, but probably like 68 degrees or something. You go shower, you sweat, then you come. If you get little bit relaxed for few minutes, like after the match you sit there five minutes, you can get sick.

I felt my throat a little bit today. I think that physically maybe that played a little bit of a role. At the same time it's not an excuse at all because Nick played good, he beat me in Montreal, I was not sick.

Yeah, but that's what it is.

Q. Is that the best he's ever played against you, and the best you've ever seen him play?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I mean, he played quite good in Montreal also. Yeah, it was a high-level match. Played Novak, Rafa. They all play amazing. Nick today played kind of their level, in my opinion. He has a little bit different game because he's not like a grinder in a way. At the same time he can rally.

He's tough to play. He has an amazing serve. But from baseline it's not like when the point starts, you know that you have the advantage. He plays good. He has every shot.

It was a really high-level match, I mean, from him. If he plays like this till end of the tournament, he has all the chances to win it. But he's going to get tough opponents, so it's not sure.

Q. You seemed to get frustrated with his box. Can you explain exactly what was happening.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, not at all. It was only one time, so it was 6-5 for him, first set, 40-30 on my serve. Just before the second serve somebody from his box was, C'mon, get him.

That's not nice. You shouldn't do it when you're in the other's box before the second serve. I told this to the umpire. I don't know who exactly it was. People who I see from him, actually must be honest, I don't know their names, but we just talked in the locker room. So I respect them like probably I respect almost every other team.

But at the end of the match, I was like, C'mon, he shouldn't do it. It was a man's voice. It was only once, so probably also it was not like on purpose - I hope. So that's fine.

Q. Did he do anything that surprised you during that match?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, not really. I mean, didn't miss a lot. Didn't really surprise me, but I would love him to miss a little bit more. Maybe like this I could have won the match.

If not, no. In general, we played classic tennis. He was serving big, doing some dropshots. When I was close to the baseline, he didn't do much. Serve and volley when I went back. In the end he started doing it.

No, not really. But his level was pretty high. That didn't surprise me. At the same time, yeah, that's why he won.

Q. With this defeat you won't be world No. 1 any more. How much does that bother you? Are you able to brush it off, start again?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I mean, now that you say it, I remember it. So that's not nice because honestly after such a match, when you lose in Grand Slam, look, I'm trying to look good here, but I'm disappointed. Not going to cry in the room, but I'm a little bit disappointed. For few days I'm going to be just a little bit sad, looking at my phone, my laptop or watching some series.

Yeah, it was not the first thing on my mind walking after the match, saying, Damn, will not be the world No. 1 any more.

I actually don't know which place I will be. Probably 3, 4. I guess Carlos will pass me. I don't know actually.

But that's motivation, try to do better. Obviously it was the last slam of the year. Didn't do well enough. Didn't win in Australia when I had the chance. Didn't get the chance to play Wimbledon. Roland Garros, lost fourth round. Here fourth round. Yeah, should do better. Should get more points if I want to be world No. 1 again.

Q. Is it at all distracting, some of his antics? Is it hard to your focus at all?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Not really. Especially today, I feel like he didn't do anything. As I said two days ago, I feel like we respect each other a lot.

I mean, again, any match can be different. We are both fired up, so maybe one match in two, three years, next month, we're going to get crazy with each other and not talk any more.

So far it's been great matches. I mean, no, honestly today nothing distracted me at all from playing tennis.

Q. At the beginning of the match you were really on top of the baseline for the return, then you backed up, then further back. What was it at each point prompting the switch?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I'm not sure because in the beginning I was really close because that was a little bit my plan, to not let him serve and volley. At one moment I felt like maybe I'm just a little bit too close actually, so I went just a little bit further where he still, in my opinion, couldn't really serve and volley, but I could have just a little bit more time to return.

In general I feel like if I take the match, the return was not so bad. I should have served a little bit better, which is not easy sometimes, played a little bit better from baseline, again, not easy, he played good.

In terms of returning, I broke him first set. I had 15-30 in first set. Broke him second set two times. The third set didn't have any opportunities. Well, when you play Nick sometimes, there is going to be these sets.

Again, fourth set I had a small opportunity. I had a break point. I feel like on the return, it was not a bad match for me.