NATIONAL BANK OPEN

August 11, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

A. DE MINAUR/D. Medvedev

7-6, 7-5

DANIIL MEDVEDEV

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. It's not related to the game, the question, but you have been really close to it, but you're missing something to win a Grand Slam, to make this final step. Thank you.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: A Grand Slam you're talking about?

Q. Yeah. Grand Slam.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, you mean -- when?

Q. No. I mean in general.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, because I think after I won, I made final against Rafa was a tough one, but then I was not close. I was what? Fourth round, fourth round again. Wimbledon? I didn't play Wimbledon last year. But I was losing early.

So, yeah, I think, you know, to win a Grand Slam, you need to play your best, you need to play your best in two weeks, and that's sometimes not easy. And you're going to play some opponents that maybe going to play well this day.

So in general, I didn't manage to do it, to play my best level in two weeks. And probably Wimbledon was the closest one and that's why I was in semis.

And Carlos played well. But semi I feel I could have played just a little bit better, to bring a little bit more fight to all the sets, and I didn't manage to do it.

So I just need to do better. That's the only way.

Q. Sorry for the loss today. Just your thoughts on what de Minaur did particularly well that made it challenging out there.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I don't know. First of all, he played well. I mean, I felt it was not a bad match. I definitely could have done better to win the first set. I mean, 5-1 on the tie-break, and then 6-4, 5-3 serving for it.

So could have done better. But in general, I said before the tournament, I feel like the balls now on tour, I don't know why, but they get slower everywhere.

So every match I saw, and we saw a lot of sensations, in my opinion, it's because when the ball is slower and it gets dead after two games or whatever.

Like, second set, we played, I think, long games. When they gave us new balls, we played two long games, and the balls were done.

In general, I think it brings the level closer of all the players just because it's tough to hit them. So there are couple of players that can, that are really strong, and they, let's call it, penetrate the ball. I don't know if it's a good word. Like Carlos. Like Davidovich, actually. I think that's why he's in the semis. I think Casper Ruud can do it. So some players.

And the other, like me, I don't have this power to generate easily on a slow ball with a slow ball. And so today, like, with the previous two opponents, even if they're really strong, it was enough to, let's say, one, one, and one, control the ball, and they were in trouble.

With Alex, it's not enough. You need to go through the ball and you need to attack it. And every time I tried, I was not doing anything. And so had to play these long rallies.

And actually, I am good at these long rallies, so I just had to do it better today. But yeah, was not enough.

But in general, that's why I say that's why the match is so close, because you can't do much. You just hit, hit, hit, hit, hit, and you just wait.

Q. How do you get through someone like Alex? Like, let's say you did win. What would you have done?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: As I say, you have to just, I would say, play a little bit faster. And all the three matches, even if I played not at all bad, but I felt like the conditions -- and probably it's mostly the balls -- don't let you play exactly how you want. So you kind of adapt to how you should play. And you try to win these long rallies, as I say.

And with Alex, I feel like the key is to sometimes kind of surprise him. Because, otherwise, he's always on the ball. Kind of like me, to be honest.

And so you have to surprise him. You have to suddenly make a strong shot, suddenly put the ball where he doesn't expect it.

But with these balls, it doesn't matter. Even if he doesn't expect it, the ball goes so slow that he has time to stop, run, stop run, and then still be on the ball.

So yeah. And, yeah, maybe it could have -- same. I feel like with Alex you should go to the net more often. But same. I'm not someone who is very, like, easy at the net. And when the ball goes faster through the air, I feel like I can follow it through. When my ball doesn't go fast, I'm like, Why do I go to the net? He's going to pass me. Yeah.

Q. Not the result you wanted today. But on the whole, after your first tournament this summer on the hard courts going forward into the US Open, how do you feel your level is?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, I would say it's not too bad, quarterfinals of a Master. And again, definitely should have won the first set. Even second set, two times up a break.

But as I say, not easy conditions. So I didn't manage to, unfortunately, handle them well enough but feel like I was not that far. So that's a good sign.

When you're not that far, you can always try to find it next weeks, and that's what I'm going to try to do. Just one tournament to go until US Open. And I usually really like playing in Cincinnati, so will try to find it there.

So yeah, definitely disappointed, but for the moment just looking forward. And for the moment, not stressed out.

Q. I believe you had seven double faults today, some came at inopportune times. Was that just bad timing? Did the wind pick up? Anything you can pinpoint as to what happened there?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: In general, I do more double faults this year for whatever reason. I don't remember last year if I did a lot already.

I feel like I go for the second serve. So I don't think even today the percentage of the won points on the second serve was not too bad. So there's always a question, like, maybe you hit some double faults, but maybe you also hit some good ones at important moments.

The wind didn't help. It was changing again like -- I feel like always here, so it doesn't help. At the same time, well, I had to do better even with the wind.

So no, nothing, nothing more to say than have to work on this also. And if I want to win some next tournaments, I have to do less double faults.

Q. You spoke about the tennis balls and this came up, I know, early in the season at the Australian Open a lot of the players were talking about the balls getting flat. Has this been, do you think, an ongoing issue all season or are other players kind of discussing it as well?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: After Australian Open, for sure a lot of players discussed. Australian Open was a problem. After this, I don't feel like it's a big deal on the tour.

It's just my general feeling -- and again, I'm not at all saying this should not be the case. I'm just saying how it feels to me that probably -- I mean, almost all the tournaments, so different balls. I don't know if it's the court maybe that is different so it makes this ball get older.

But here, same. Like, on the practice courts first few days, we're hitting with my coach. You hit, okay, not to exaggerate, maybe 20 balls middle, and you take the ball and you're like, Wow, it's done.

So as I say, today, with the new balls, I remember I think it was 2-1. I actually lost the break on my serve, but it was a long game. Then I broke him back right after, but it was also a long game, and the balls are done. And you have to play with them for seven more games.

I feel like, yeah, that's the tendency. And then, yeah, it becomes to very long rallies. And what is funny is I love these long rallies, but I love them when the conditions are fast, because then other players can't handle these long rallies.

When the conditions are slow, literally everyone can handle these long rallies because, well, it's like you have no other choice.

So, yeah, it's my general feeling that the balls become slower on tour. But if it's the case, well, I have to adapt. And to be honest, this year I did not adapt so bad, so I have to find a way again.

Q. That was actually my question. Are you worried about this trend and are you considering doing something about your style of play?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, I don't think -- as I say, it's just someone will like it, someone will not.

So, yeah, I would love all the balls to be fast, but I'm definitely not saying this should be the case. So you have to adapt to conditions.

You know, we have guys like Novak. I'm sure that when he started 17 years ago winning Grand Slams, everything was different. The courts, the balls. He was still winning.

So I just have to adapt. Again, as I say, I like faster balls. But if they go slower, I have to adapt and try to win with it.

But as I say, against someone like Alex, it felt not easy today. But maybe it was also me who was just not at my best, and I didn't do enough with the ball.

But the general feeling was, like, then it was so tough to push it through the air so that Alex is in trouble. Or maybe he just played very good and that was the feeling, and that's why I lost.