ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

T. SEYBOTH WILD/D. Medvedev

7-6, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, tough luck. Can you just sum it up in a few words.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Tough match. I don't know. I'm not going to look at it back on TV but my feeling was that he played well. You know, I don't think I played that bad, but he played well.

The thing is that it's always the same. If he continues to play that way, my opinion, end of the year, he's top 30. But last time I said something like this about someone, he didn't manage to do it.

But great for him to play like this today. I honestly hope he's gonna play like this later on, because if not, I'm gonna be disappointed. I'm going to be like, why today? Why not in two days? So yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. It looked like you were getting a little frustrated with the fans at some times. How did you feel about the crowd?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was fine. The only thing when I asked the umpire to check the mark was pretty close, in my opinion. I was just discussing with her like where does she see the ball in, and getting booed for whatever reason. I just told them to shut up, and that's it. Because I was discussing with another person, not with them, so they should shut up at this moment.

Other than that, everything was fine, I think. Yeah.

Q. It seems that you had a problem to adjust your game with the wind, the windy conditions. Was it particularly tough for you?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was very tough with the wind. But it's strange, because it was here from the first day like six days ago, same direction, always on center. I don't remember this from previous years. Well, it is what it is. It was not easy, but, okay, it's part of the game.

But yeah, with this heavy balls to adjust with the wind was not easy. In my opinion, players who have like, I don't know how even to say it, but like a wrist game, like my opponent today, like Carlos, I think Stefanos a little bit, have big advantage with these balls, because they can create easy power, which I don't have.

That was a little bit the case today. He was controlling almost all the points, and I was suffering a lot, especially on the side against the wind.

That's why yeah, that's basically why it was tough and why I lost.

Q. Were you annoyed by your attitude towards the end of the game? Because at the end, you were hitting your head as if you were not very happy with the mental state of affairs there. What was the comment on that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, that was just something, let's call it me with me. Nothing to do with the mental side.

But no, I think I was fighting well. Physically I was not feeling that bad. I mean, I'm a little bit tired now but also when you lose your body goes down faster. If I would win I would not feel that tired.

Mentally I was fighting. I was fighting. The last game, brought it back to 30-All, guy makes two winners, okay, whatever. Hopefully can make it next time (smiling).

But yeah, I think, again, for sure I'm really disappointed. I'm gonna be one week thinking about this match, but for the moment I don't see anything wrong I did. I mean, double faults, the wind was crazy today, so it was not easy.

I think I made most of them -- doesn't matter even which side. It was tough to play. So yeah, I don't see anything I could really do better. That's good. That's when you can bounce back faster in the next tournaments.

Q. Just wondering when you play someone where there is such a gap in ranking and they come out in such hot form, are you expecting the level to drop? Is that what surprised you?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, he dropped it only one set and I managed to use it. The second tiebreak he did some mistakes when he had a set point. But yeah, really, in my opinion tried to, let's call it, yeah, tried to make him win this match and he managed to do it.

So again, no problem with that. He played great. I think he's a great player. He won US Open juniors, if I'm not mistaken, stuff like this.

It's just his life is going to be better if he plays like this every match. He's gonna get more money, more sponsors, win big titles. But he has to play like this. Not once on the Philippe Chatrier, but a lot of times in different tournaments all over the world throughout the year.

And the way he plays this year, I think he won some challengers and stuff, maybe he's capable of doing it. Let's see. We have to wait and see.

Q. Presumably today's result brings an end to your clay court season for 2023. How would you describe your relationship with clay right now?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, it didn't change one time that every time it finishes I'm happy. So I'm happy. I'm happy again. Doesn't matter, one time quarters, one time fourth round, a lot of times first round.

I'm just happy to, again same, today I had because wind, dry court, I had a mouthful of clay since probably third game of the match, and I don't like it. I don't know if people like to eat clay, to have clay in their bags, in their shoes, the socks, white socks, you can throw them to garbage after clay season. Maybe some people like it. I don't.

I am happy to have it finished. I'm going to have to have a good time off. Have to find positives.

A lot of, yeah, a lot of relaxing next days. Happy to go to the next challenges even if, for sure, I wanted to stay longer in Paris, even if it's clay (smiling).

Q. How excited are you to play on grass again this year? Do you have any concerns at all about obviously with the Russians being banned last year at Wimbledon about how the crowd or people might react to you?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: We cannot control it, you know. If people gonna decide to be harsh, it is what it is. If they're gonna be kind, it's great also.

So it's not for us to decide. I will be happy if I'm able to come to UK to play Wimbledon. I'm only planning to play Wimbledon. I go to Halle, that's a tournament I love. That's a tournament I so far did manage to play really well last year, you know.

It's not easy to play on grass. I cannot, like I cannot even say I love it, but better than on clay. Last year I managed to make pretty good results to final.

So I'm gonna try to manage to do better this year in Wimbledon than the years before.

Q. Getting back to the question of clay, you basically told us how you feel about it, you're happy it's over, but can you look at it as a step in the right direction given what happened in Rome?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: 100%. And again, the match today, my opinion, I played well. You know, I was trying. I was trying. Yeah, like I didn't feel that, how to call it, like before sometimes I was feeling, wow, I really cannot do anything.

Today I felt like I'm doing what I have to do, and he plays well, so let's continue. And, well, the match was over and I didn't manage to win it.

But definitely amazing. Rome is unbelievable. I never thought I'm gonna win a tournament on clay. Not talking about a Masters. So have to think more about this right now than Roland Garros, unfortunately.

Yeah, next year I'm gonna be maybe even more motivated to try to repeat the success of this year.