ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 6, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/K. Khachanov

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, impressive win today, into the semifinals. Have not dropped a set so far this week. Talk about your level so far and going into the semifinals.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, happy with my level today. I think it was maybe the strongest match, but both second round and today were pretty happy about my level.

Playing against Karen, not easy. We haven't played since 2019, which is a little bit crazy in a way because we play many times the same tournaments, so that's a bit strange.

It was a tough match. He had the upper hand in the second set. I managed to raise my level at the end of both sets, and that was the key part today.

Q. You seemed very fluent throughout. Do you feel your form is getting better throughout the week?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I think so. Today was really good level. Just the beginning of the match, I felt just a little bit rusty, which could happen. We had a day off, didn't play on Centre Court for a few days. So I was like, okay, try to get into the match, try to do your best.

Then I raised my level pretty fast, and yeah, especially, as I said, the ending of both sets was high level, and really happy about it.

Q. As you know in Australia we play matches midday and then in the final last year early in the morning. Is there a certain time of day that you prefer to play matches?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Not really, because if you play early, that's good because then you have all the day to do what you want. You have kind of a free day. Unless you lose, then it's tough, because you have all the day where you lost and you're like, what am I going to do, probably leaving the next day to either another city or out of the country.

But yeah, everything is fine. When you play midday you can sleep a little and you still have time in the evening. The negative of playing at night is that you go to bed late, but what I like about playing at night is the same, you have all the day to yourself, you do whatever, you just chill, relax, prepare the match.

I feel like I play good at night. The only negative is that you go to bed late and then the next day you can be a little bit less recovered.

Everything has its negatives and its positives. I don't really have a preference.

Q. This time last year you came in as US Open champion. You had just won a Davis Cup. You were just about to be No. 1. Is there much less expectation upon you this year than last year?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't know. I put high expectations on myself all the time, but the most important thing for me is to work hard and try to do my best. Talking about other people, I don't know. I don't know which expectations they put at me right now.

Even if they are lower, I will try to make everything I can so that they are high again.

Q. Can I take you back to the ATP finals last year, three matches there, three tight losses after starting the year as world No. 1. Did it dent your confidence whatsoever?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Maybe. Confidence, tough to say. It was just a really tough experience. You lose three matches -- I think it was good that it was the last tournament of the year because then you have a preseason where you work hard and you kind of reset for the new season.

For sure for a week after the finals I was like, that was horrible. Like I want to swear, bad words. That was horrible, terrible, awful. I was serving two times for the match, even worse.

Of course in these moments you kind of ask yourself, will I be able to do better next time. I always say to myself that yes, with hard work and trying your best, for sure I will. I was able to do it already and I'll be able to do it again.

Q. The off season, we touched on it two days ago that it wasn't an amazing season, it was still a very good season --

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Exactly. Same about the finals. It was definitely awful. At the same time, I played three really strong matches against three tough opponents. Just didn't manage to win them.

Q. What did you do in the off-season to get back to being world No. 1 Medvedev in some ways?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: The thing that -- when we won Davis Cup, we had -- I think I had two week off preseason, which is not enough. It's like a preparation for the next tournament, which was Australian Open, so I didn't really have a preseason to prepare the next season.

At the same time, the best ones, they were able to do like this sometimes. Maybe I was not able to or did it a little bit -- had an influence on my 2022 maybe.

This year I had three strong weeks in the middle going to Saudi Arabia, playing an exhibition, but also working hard there. I tried to really work hard with my team, with my coach to work everything that would not be working last year, to be stronger. I'm happy that so far it shows the results, but for sure the biggest tests are tomorrow and the day after.

Q. Do you feel fresher then, from what you're saying? You've had a better preparation than 12 months ago?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It's tough to say because last year in Australia I felt great. It's then that I was feeling tougher. Of course losing in the final to Rafa being up didn't help.

You never know what event exactly could lead to you playing worse after, and you never know what's going to happen this year. Maybe I'm going to sit here and say, yeah, I prepared great, I'm going to be great, and then I'm going to lose some matches and I'm going to be like, what's happening.

I don't know what happens in the future. I cannot change the past. The only thing I can do is work on the present, and in the present I feel great. I feel fresh. I feel ready for the season. Hopefully this can lead to some great results.

Q. You said you were going to watch tonight's match, and hopefully it's an incredible match and hopefully it's a long one, for you. Can we say if it is Novak that you're going to face in the semis, can you tell me about how -- you spoke about how much success he's had in Australia. Can you tell me about the head to head between you two and what it would mean before the Australian Open to play against each other if you do?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, even last year, the two matches we played were crazy, and I feel like the level was -- I managed to raise my level to one of the best levels I played in 2022. Even the last one in Turin where I was not motivated in a way, but during the match I found the motivation. It was great matches. I'm really disappointed that I didn't manage to win them.

In Australia we played already three times, I think, and yeah, both of them different matches. Not going to touch too much on this, but I lost all of them. This is a challenge to play Novak in Australia.

Maybe it can be easier in Adelaide than Melbourne, you never know, but it's a challenge and it's a great test before Australian Open to play one of the best ones and probably the best player ever in terms of Australian tennis.

Q. The final last year against Rafa and then he beat you in another final not long after that, I believe --

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Semis.

Q. Would you welcome having to go against both of them in a couple weeks in Melbourne?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Oh, yeah, playing against Rafa and Novak is a privilege. I'm disappointed that when I started to play better, went into the top 10, I didn't manage to play Roger because I lost to him three times. I was already not bad but I was not where I am right now. I still have the chance to play Rafa and Novak, and every time I have this chance, I want to win. I want to try to do my best.

I had some tough losses against both of them, but the only Slam I won was against Novak, and it was great. I'm happy to play against them.

Q. If it is Denis in the semifinals, can you talk about the approach you'll take to facing him?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, if it is going to be Denis, it means that he had a hell of a match tonight, but he's capable of it. I remember the last time we played was in Vienna, and I think first set I think was 5-2 for him and I managed to bring it to 5-4, but until this moment where I managed to a little bit come back in the match, he was unplayable. It was just pure power, everything on the line, serving aces.

Every time you play him and he plays like this, it's impressive. You're kind of impressed when you look back. You're like, wow, what pure power and elegance in a way.

Yeah, if you play him you know you have to be at your best. Also I managed to play amazing in Vienna, and hopefully that's what I am going to be able to do tomorrow no matter who I play.

Q. Going back to Novak, you have beaten him on the biggest stage. Can you talk about what makes him so strong, the difficulty mentally of overcoming him on the biggest stages?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I think it's still tennis-wise firstly, stuff against him, he doesn't miss. He runs amazing. Even like against Halys, I didn't see that many points, but I saw a few. I remember it was 15-30, 5-all, second set, and Halys made a point where he would probably win it against everybody except maybe five guys who know how to win the game and know how to move well, and Novak is for sure one of them. You know that you have to put the ball four times on the line, maybe full power to win the point. He serves pretty big, even if it may not seem like this; he's one of the best returners of all time.

All this makes it tough, and on top of this mentally he's a machine. He's capable of saving match points in the Grand Slam finals. He's capable of beating you when you serve for the match.

Yeah, it's just very tough, but this is what makes it sweet when you manage to overcome this challenge.