ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 6, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Mixed Zone

Q. Tell us about your first match here.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: First match? You mean this year?

Q. Yes.

DANIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, because I thought maybe first match ever.

Yeah, against Cristian, how many times did we play? We played a couple of times, but if I remember, not recently. We practiced a couple of times last year. He's a great player. He was top 20, I think, if I'm not mistaken. So anyone who has ever been top 20 can play good. He had a little bit tougher times lately, but he won his first match, he's used to the conditions, so I know it's going to be tough, and I need to be at my best.

Q. How do you sum up this season so far? It's been a hugely successful season.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Honestly, yeah, it's been a great season. Of course, I would love to win a Grand Slam, but if we don't talk about Grand Slams, well, Wimbledon and US Open was a nice run, losing to great opponents. Probably, I mean, not probably, my best season, and again, if we don't talk about Grand Slams, so many titles, so many great victories, really consistent, and it's not over, and I want to try to finish on a very strong note, starting here in Shanghai.

Q. Have you noticed any changes in Shanghai since your last visit?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Some, because as I said, I already love the tournament. What did I notice? The restaurant became even bigger with some outdoor areas, so that's very nice. The gym became much bigger. I think the only thing that the tournament was kind of, let's say, missing was the gym was pretty small. Now it's enormous, probably one of the biggest on tour and, like, close to the gym I saw that they have Formula 1 simulators and stuff like this.

So I always try not to be -- because I like playing on tour, so I like all the tournaments, but in my opinion, that should be the best one out there at the moment.

Q. How does it feel coming back this year? There's been a few years of a gap, but do you approach this event, the Shanghai Rolex Masters, as a brand-new tournament or as one that you're defending?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I approach it not as a brand-new tournament, but not as a defending. Like, I approach it as a tournament that is there on the ATP Tour because I still played it, actually only two, no, three times, and it's a tournament I love, so I have a lot of memories. But it also doesn't feel like I won it last year and coming to defend my title, but I will be happy to try to get it this year.

Q. How do you feel so far? You've only just arrived from being a finalist in Beijing, so whatever you've experienced so far, how are you feeling?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I had one practice, and it felt great, but a match is a different story. So honestly, it's tomorrow is the day where I'm going to after the match say, Okay, I felt great or, Well, I felt bad, I'm coming home, or something like this. So far so good, but let's see tomorrow.

Q. Now, there's a lot of talk on social media about a toy and a trophy. Who is toy was it, yours or Jannik's?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was mine. It was mine. The thing is that they gave us both a toy, and he put his straight away in his trophy, in the cup, and me, I didn't want to be with a toy on the pictures because I knew that it's a great picture, so I put mine in his cup and took it back, and I was actually even a little bit surprised it made such a buzz.

But some of the videos and photos are really funny, the way I took it and just left, but it was my toy.

Q. It is very funny, it really is.

On a serious note, your first match, second round over here. What are your thoughts?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, Cristian is a strong player. He was top 20 before, so anyone who was top 20 can play really strong, so I'm expecting a tough battle. He won his first match, he's used to the conditions, but I'm in big confidence right now, so I'm going to try to use it.