THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 12, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/C. Eubanks

6-4, 1-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, into the semifinals. How are you feeling right now?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Feeling great right now. Was a very tough match. At one moment really close to lose. But, yeah, happy that I managed to put myself back together. There was a moment in the match I started just losing kind of everything, the focus, the momentum of the match, which can happen of course at this level. Chris played well.

I'm happy that I managed to put it back together and step it up to be able to win. Really happy and looking forward to next match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you describe, now that you're in your first Wimbledon semifinal, your career journey to get to this point?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't know actually because I thought about this today during the match honestly. When I started losing it, I was like, All right, what's happening? Why is it happening like this? Then I went in my career I was able to do a lot of big things, which probably four, five years ago I didn't think I would be able to do.

That's when I was like, Okay, I need to try to turn this match around and to do like I did many times to win this tough, tough battles at the Grand Slam.

Yeah, I would say that this Wimbledon semifinal is honestly not that much about my career past before, it's about I managed to step up my game so far during this tournament. Before the tournament, I was not feeling well with my tennis. First round I was not feeling well. Starting from the second round, it was only getting better and better.

Yeah, as I say, today was small moment where I lost let's say everything I was building till this moment. But I managed to bring it back and maybe even go step further.

So I hope I can do it also in the semis.

Q. When you're talking about the tough moments in the match, you had the code violation, what was your take on that? Was there any moment in your head where you thought disqualification might be an issue?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I didn't do anything for this.

Yeah, so what happened, I for sure started losing, a little bit frustrated. There were some balls, I almost was there, I saw was not there, so I was trying to lean, and the ball went in the crowd. I was like, The referee is probably going to start talking to me. He didn't.

The last one where I got a code, I didn't want to do what happened to the ball because it was actually a little bit dangerous. I wanted to kind of chip it so it goes over the net, and it dropped, it didn't bounce as it should be, so the ball was going like this. I was like, Oh, my God.

That was very unlucky. But at the end nothing happened, so that's why I was actually surprised about the code. I can understand if something would happen. I don't know. But finally nothing happened, so you cannot normally give me a code.

We had a chat with the umpire afterwards. I think we were both wrong. I was wrong with my emotions. He was maybe in something else, but that's a question to him.

Yeah, in general was a little bit unlucky situation where nothing happened, so we move on.

Q. It hit the camera?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It did? What I saw, it hit the wall. The wall is fine (smiling).

Q. For a long time in that match, you were so far back you were going to take a seat. He kept hitting the serves, then the dropshots. A lot of people were wondering how long is it going to go on for. Why did you wait so long before you moved about 10 feet forward?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: First of all, because the first set I was putting pressure on him every game. I think every game was deuce. Had a break point after I won his serve, after I broke him already. I felt like, I mean, against Chris, some other players couldn't break him no matter standing close or far. I was like, I think I'm doing the right thing, it's just I have to execute it better.

At one moment in the match I have to try to change something because I think second and third set I didn't have a break point. So that's when I was like, Okay, I have to try to change something and see if it goes better. I straightaway saw that it was putting a little bit more pressure on him, so I just continued doing it.

I always said I try to see in the match what works and what doesn't. Till I started doing it, I still felt that it's going to work the way it was. At the moment where I thought it might not, I changed it.

Q. It was obvious today the crowd were backing him more than you. After the match, you got a really big ovation. Because of everything that's going on elsewhere, how pleased have you been with the crowd? Have you felt the crowd have been fair to you and other Russian and Belarusian players, and not got on your backs?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I actually don't know about others because I didn't see many of them play. I saw Andrey against Novak. I think the crowd was great. I didn't see Aryna play. I actually saw but with no sound. I don't know.

About me, I said after the first match the crowd was amazing. Today I felt they were backing him. Why, I don't know. Maybe his tennis, maybe he's underdog, maybe something else. Again, till all the matches, till the quarterfinal, they were amazing.

As you say today, they were backing him a little bit more. But same, when it was two sets to one, I was two sets to one down, I was like, okay, what I was talking, I'm down now, let's see if they support me. I actually felt more support, as I said in the previous match.

It's been amazing. It's been amazing. Let's see how it is on Centre Court because so far I have been playing only on Court 1. I think it's going to be the same. It's going to be amazing to play Carlos next.

Q. Have you been able to study Carlos Alcaraz during this time? What are you taking from that match in USA?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think Indian Wells is not going to count a lot here. So slow Indian Wells. I mean, it's not going to be the same. Wimbledon, the ball bounces lower. The serve is more important. There, I felt like I couldn't get free points with the serve.

I saw some of his matches. I saw a little bit against Matteo. Did I see anything else? I'm not sure actually.

For sure going to discuss tactically with my coach. It's interesting to play someone like Carlos. He is amazing, amazing player. He's still 19, right? What he continues to do is just unbelievable. He doesn't stop. I don't think he will.

But I played a lot of great players in my career. I managed to win many times. So I'm going to try to do my best. If I show my best, I'll have my chances.

Q. What about Carlos is most impressive to you?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think the power. When he was 17, which was actually not long ago, he was much less mature and younger, which is normal, he was missing. Everyone saw that he's amazing, but everyone was wondering is he going to find the way to miss less producing the same power. And he did quite fast. That's what's pretty amazing.

Yeah, we see if you give him one easy shot, you can be in trouble. Maybe big chances you're going to get a winner even with, let's say, in my opinion, with Novak or Andy, even Rafa, you kind of feel like you can have a chance to get this shot, but the thing is they're going to have 20 more. With Carlos, maybe you're not going to get this one. It's one shot sometimes is brutal.

I think that's what the most powerful in his game. That's what I will have to try to deal with.

Q. You've talked a lot this year about adapting your game to clay, now to grass. You won Rome. Your first Wimbledon semifinal. Is there any kind of common thread from the two surfaces and the way you've been able to perform better on both this year?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: On clay, for sure, I found something. Let's say adapted a lot. I found something, especially in the movement. Again, for sure Rome was amazing. Even Roland Garros and other losses, which was Madrid and Monte-Carlo, I played good. It's just my opponents were better.

I didn't have this feeling where, Oh, my God, clay, I cannot win a match. I actually felt like I played well. A little bit luck here and there. Still not my favorite surface, so you can beat me there.

Here I would say I managed to find the rhythm, which on grass I feel like you have to adapt less in a way. You just have to serve well and try to return and make one break a set, which sounds easy but it's not because your opponent is trying to do the same. I managed to find this rhythm which I rarely had on grass because the bounce sometimes goes through the court so you're going to be late on the swing.

I managed to find it so far, so hopefully I can find it for two more matches.

Q. After three sets, according to the stats, you had only five unforced errors. What does it feel like to be losing...

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I saw the stats after the match. I was like, Wow. I felt like at one moment in the match, I was just missing in a way. It doesn't show in the stats.

First of all, depends who made the stats. Maybe they were wrong. But it's also possible the way Chris plays, it's actually tough to do an unforced error. He hits so strong, when you miss, it's probably a lot of the time a forced error. When I saw the stats, how did it go to five sets? It's always a question: Do they add double-faults there? If they did, I have like five maybe.

It's true that maybe, yeah, the way he hit through the ball counted to that. But what I saw is I managed to step up my serve in the fourth set. That's what I was missing in second and third. That was the key. I actually saw I lost two points on the serve in fourth set, and one of them on the tiebreak. That's big. That puts a lot of pressure on your opponent. That's very important on grass.

Q. You weren't allowed to play last year. Does that give you additional motivation to try and do well? I would like to ask you straight out: Do you like the grass now?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Let's wait for two more matches (smiling). I like it definitely more than before. But I want to try to go all the way, then you can ask me again (smiling).

About last year? Not really, honestly. I always said I want to be here, I want to play. I mean, Wimbledon is an amazing tournament. I wanted to do well because it was my worst Grand Slam, first round. Never managed to get into the flow here to make it click. So I was just disappointed last year that I didn't have this opportunity to try to prove to myself that I can go far in Wimbledon, which is an iconic tournament.

That's why I was really motivated this year, not especially for long time not playing well on Grand Slams. I want to do well here. I want to try. It's not going to be easy. I sometimes try to put less pressure on myself and I feel like it's good. This time I kind of put more pressure on myself before the tournament. I was like, I have to do well here.

Sometimes it's tricky because by putting more pressure, you become more vulnerable, especially if you yourself put pressure. But I managed to do it, so I'm happy so far. I'm going to put even more pressure for next two matches.