MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

March 31, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/K. Khachanov

7-6, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Daniil. Five consecutive finals. You're No. 1 now in the race following today's win. Regardless of what happens on Sunday, how happy are you with your Sunshine Double today?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Great, great, amazing. Before the tournament, someone, I don't remember who, asked me that I made finals in all the Masters and Grand Slams on hard courts except here in Miami.

Really happy to do it here. For sure the tournament is not over. Very important match Sunday. Probably gonna ask more about, yeah, Alcaraz/Sinner. I'm going to enjoy their match and prepare for the winner.

Really happy with all that's been happening this year.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congrats, Daniil. That was a high-quality match. Karen, I think he had like 53 winners, 11 errors. You also had a pretty good ratio. What was the difference, especially in that third set?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Honestly, my opinion, was exactly top-level match where we played well, and one bad game from my side second set and won that game from him third set where we broke, because, yeah, he had new balls, so I was, like, okay, just try to put it in the court with new balls, not that easy to hit winners unless you hit an ace.

He made some mistakes. I think all of them were long, new balls. Me, I had old balls, and didn't manage to play well enough in the second set. So in my opinion, yeah, it was just like here on this surface, which is more like medium hard court, you serve well, you have few chances, you try to make them, and that's what happened today. Just, yeah, few chances we had, and we both actually made them and I won the tiebreak.

Q. I asked Karen this, as well. How did you find out about the Wimbledon, that you'd be able to play Wimbledon this year? What was your immediate reaction?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, the thing is that when you read media, you know kind of, I already saw one week ago that it might be happening but still not official so you never know. So today I guess it's official. So I'm really happy.

I always said that I love this tournament. It's the only Grand Slam, which is surprising when we have Roland Garros, that I didn't make quarters yet, and I want to do better. I think I lost, what, five sets to Hubi and to Goffin maybe was third round five sets. But anyway, I had some tough losses there. I want to try to turn this around. It's a beautiful tournament, beautiful Grand Slam. I'm really happy that I'm going to be able to play there this year.

Q. I was going to ask you, you're known for being able to read opponents, and every opponent has tendencies. To me, Alcaraz seems to be the most unpredictable of players. How do you read him? What are his tendencies? And today on the foot faults, were they saying it was your rear or front foot?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, actually will be interested to see it. Probably if they call a foot fault it was a foot fault, but it was my rear foot. So then all the match when I was coming there, I was always taking small step to the right, remembering, okay, I have to not make a foot fault.

So actually when I see it, I want to just know how far is it, because it's also not easy, because you don't really see the line. I mean, yeah, I want to see it. Not much more to add.

About Alcaraz, for sure like everyone he has tendencies. The thing is that the stronger the opponent, you might know what he does next, but if he does it too well, you can try to do whatever, you're not going to make it.

He's playing great at the moment of, especially yesterday I thought Fritz could put him some trouble, and first set was kind of competitive, but still, 6-4, 6-2 in the end. He's playing great.

If I have to play against him, I'm gonna have to do better than in Indian Wells if I have to win, and I was able to do it in the past against some big players, so that's what I'm gonna try to do.

But Sinner always puts him a lot of trouble, so let's see. Let's see the match.

Q. Back on Wimbledon, the statement said that the Russian and Belarusian players are allowed into the tournament with the proviso that there is no statements, no flags, like a commitment not to make statements and also no sponsorship from I think the phrase is "Russian state organizations or bodies." Is any of that a problem to you? Are you free to go there, do you think?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, not at all, I don't have any Russian sponsors, and yeah, I'm gonna play there like we played all the last year every other tournament, to be honest. Yeah, again, I'm gonna be happy to be there.

I don't know what the crowd reaction is going to be, I cannot control it, but I will be happy to play there in front of all the people. Hopefully on big courts. Hopefully have some big, amazing matches.

Q. You and Karen, I mean, you go back to juniors, I don't know, 12, 13 years old. What's it like beating one of your close friends? I think you were Davis Cup teammates when you won, '21? What's it like beating one of your close friends like that in one of the biggest maybe matches of his career other than maybe couple semifinals in...

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I actually forgot. We already played once in semifinal in Masters in Canada. I completely forgot that it was in semis. Here it's already the second time.

You know, to be honest, it's another tennis match. It's a semifinals of a Masters. Honestly, I have Karen on the other side. I would have, I don't want to say names, anyone else, you want to win. You want to be in the final.

The biggest difference, in my opinion, is that he knows what you're going to do, you know what he's gonna do. It comes to who is going to surprise the opponent, who is going to change something during the match.

I feel like that was a lot the key today. He did surprise me in the beginning a little bit with few shots. I managed to change it throughout the game, but yeah, that's how tennis is.

Yeah, I'm happy to see him, you know, in the locker room before the match and after the match, but on court, whoever the opponent is, I just want to win.

Q. (Off mic.)

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Okay, well, today, that's what I'm saying, in my opinion, it was a top match. I see what he means. Yeah, I think he can add some people there, because we have some strong players on the tour.

But yeah, that means that he also feels like it was a great match. I felt that he played good again. Won that match in third set, and that's how tennis is.

Q. You mentioned what we all know, that Jannik has done pretty well against Carlos. Why do you think that is? What does he do, as someone who has probably watched some of those matches, that other people aren't able to do against Carlos?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I would think that Carlos, where he's so good, actually yesterday he made 110-miles winner on the forehand. People are like, Why cannot other people play against Carlos well?

I cannot hit 110-miles forehand. Yeah, that's an advantage. And Sinner is capable of doing this. Sinner is capable of hitting the ball very strong. He was not capable to be as consistent as Carlos. I mean, Carlos also has amazing volley, amazing dropshot, the two breakpoints he saved yesterday.

So I think Carlos' game is maybe at this moment a little bit more complete, but Jannik is progressing really, really fast, especially this year.

But in terms of baseline game, yeah, Jannik can hit the ball very strong. I think that's where they have this kind of ping-pong tennis. That's where he can bring him trouble.

Q. My question goes to last final in Indian Wells against Carlos. What are you expecting to change from yourself on Sunday if you play against Carlos? Because obviously it was a big final, and everybody was expecting that match, and you obviously said you didn't play well, but what are maybe just a couple of specific things you're looking forward to maybe correct if you have a next time?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, the thing is for sure I'm gonna talk, if Carlos wins, with my coach. That's why I cannot even tell you much right now, because I want to see their match first. It's like I would describe you how I will play, and then Carlos loses. Well, I have to prepare for another one.

I always take it easy. I'm going to do this tomorrow, but the only thing I for sure have to do better is play better. When I say this, I was missing a little bit too much. Yeah, it was probably about the unforced errors.

That's my game, you know. When I'm on top, I'm on top of my game when I don't miss, and I was missing some shots with Carlos. Was it because he was putting pressure on me, a lot of topspin? Maybe. So I have to find a way to deal with it.

But in general, you know, playing against guys like Novak, Rafa, unfortunately when I played Roger I was not yet at my best, it taught me that sometimes you can have matches where they beat you maybe easy, and the next one you have to do better. You have to be a better version of yourself.

Carlos is at this moment, let's call it a big thing, and if you want to beat him, you have to become this big thing for this match, and that's what I'm gonna try to do if it's gonna be him.