ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 7, 2023

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/C. Garin

6-3, 6-3

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Hello, everyone.

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, welcome back to Shanghai. How did it feel to be out there on center court where you won the title four years ago?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Oh, nice. I love this court, I love this tournament, I love this city. As I said on the court, I hope I can stay here as long as possible, and the only way to do it is to win because as soon as I lose, I'm going to go home, so hopefully, I can stay here for about one more week and one more day.

THE MODERATOR: Questions? Please raise your hand and introduce yourself.

Q. Congratulations on the win today. Were there any nerves going out there as defending champion?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, honestly, four years past, so different feeling, but for sure some nerves because it's not easy to change tournaments. Different balls, a little bit different surface, so never easy two days after the final.

The good thing is the confidence usually helps you, and that's what helped me to win today because, again, in terms of game, it's not easy, but the more matches I manage to win, and already this one is good, the better I'm going to play. So hopefully, this match is a good starting point to play better tomorrow.

Q. How do you sum up the match?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Not easy. I felt that the court or the balls were slow. It's actually been very tough to say which one of the two. So that's why we saw, I mean, it was 6-3, 6-3, one hour 31, and I feel like I'm kind of a fast player between points, so that's very long. Because the points were long starting from the, I think almost to the first point of the match, it's tough to make a winner. So just hit, hit, hit, hit, and kind of wait, whoever misses or whoever's legs are more tired (laughing).

But, again, in general, it was not too bad. I think I can play well here.

Q. 60th match win this season. Was that a number that you're aware of?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I knew I was close because I think in Beijing, I saw that I was at 56. I will be honest, I don't think I care in a way how many wins I have in a season, but what I heard is that my record is 63 after the match, and that's pretty close, so I would be happy to beat it. Sometimes, you know, sometimes we manage to beat records that were here for long time, sometimes it's a record against yourself, you know, a new title, something new, and if I manage to do it, it's going to be great, a great season, and I'm happy to continue this way.

Q. Talk about the 60th win of the year. I know the season is not finished yet, but can you reflect a little bit and share some thoughts on, like, which couple of wins that you stand out of the year?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Oh, a lot, a lot, to be honest. That's why this season, for sure, just amazing. Probably, if we don't talk about Grand Slam, because there is a season where I played good, I have, I think, one Masters 1000, final Bercy, final of Turin, and I won the US Open. So it's tough to say, and probably that's my best season because I won a Grand Slam.

But if we drop Grand Slams, that's by far my best season of my career, but, like, by far. Some amazing wins. I mean, even making Indian Wells final where I basically, I hate to play in terms of conditions because I love the place, it's a big achievement. Dubai, Rotterdam, Miami, all these things, Rome, winning a Masters on clay.

So amazing season, but there is some more. As I'm talking about, like, records, hopefully, I can get the second title somewhere because it's only tournaments that I won that are left, and I'm going to try to do it.

Q. I wonder if you know the butterfly flying to you is some kind of good luck in China. How do you feel at this moment?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, it was pretty funny because I think butterflies are beautiful, but in a way, I'm a little bit, not scared of insects, but, like, I don't like when they go on me. So I was a little bit, like, I know it cannot do anything to me, but I was like, Okay, what I would do in here, and then when it sat on the ball, that was actually pretty funny because I could give it to the ball boy and, yeah, funny moment. I don't think ever happened to me, and if it brings good luck, perfect for me, I'm happy about it (laughing).

Q. I was wondering if you could talk through your next match with Sebastian Korda.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Tough match because the only time I played him I lost and in straight sets and in a Grand Slam. So I for sure remember it. He played well. He was very dominant, in a way, and that's how he plays, so it's going to be interesting for me. I'm in a good shape now, so I will try to do better than last time and try to win.

Q. So last week in Beijing, you talk about want to visit certain place, but it depend on your result in Beijing, right? But you get into the final, you probably didn't visit any place. But can you, like, talk about what kind of place in China, either Beijing or Shanghai, you want to visit?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, for sure I would like to go on the Great Wall, but I heard in Beijing, they have a lot of good historical places. My wife had a little more time than me to visit.

Shanghai, I would say completely different city, more modern, I think, like, kind of maybe compare something like New York and Washington, I guess, you know, skyscrapers and stuff like this. I think in Beijing, when we were on the Olympic Tower, there is no skyscrapers. So it's different. I like both of them, but I really, really love Shanghai for many different reasons and for sure winning a title couple of years ago makes this feeling even better.

I feel like I did visit some places in Shanghai, so, you know, I hope I can come here for 10 more years and visit many different places, both in Beijing and Shanghai.

Q. It's true that you are very popular in China social media because some fans took the picture and video, and you take China's high speed train from Beijing to Shanghai, they think it's very interesting. How do you feel about that trip?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was great. The choice was always train or plane. I think in terms of time, it's pretty much the same. Probably on plane, you could maybe save an hour in total time.

But I do feel like after playing, my body doesn't feel amazing, usually. Like, I think with all the pressure that you have on the plane, and usually for my legs, there is not enough space, so I thought taking the train would be a good option, and it was. It was a very good train, very clean. I thought for me the journey was very smooth. I had good internet there, so I could enjoy myself. Next time I'm probably going to do the same, take the train.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Thank you.