AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2024

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/N. Borges

6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, well done. Once again into the quarterfinals.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: How do you see your matchup against Hubie?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Hubie, tough opponent for me for sure. I think I lost three last matches. No. Anyway, I lost some (smiling).

He serves well. He serves well. It's tough to return his serve. By number of aces, he was number one. Maybe actually the best serve last year. That's going to be the key. I need to stay strong on my serve, don't give him the break, either try to break him or go to the tiebreak and try to win the tiebreak.

Going to prepare well mentally tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. With the way Hubie has improved over the last few months in particular, had a strong end of the season last year, do you see him as a contender for a Grand Slam?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think with his serve, always, always. Also he can play good on every surface.

As I say, his serve is so good, he can go to the tiebreak all the time. Then, of course, we try to break him. Sometimes he loses when we break him.

It's a tennis game, so... I think he's there. He was in semis in Wimbledon. It's already a big achievement. I feel like actually in Grand Slams sometimes he would little bit have some surprising results and early defeats where I would look and be like, Okay, he's out against some guys where maybe I thought he was stronger.

He already has two Masters 1000s. When you have Masters 1000, in my opinion you're already a Grand Slam contender.

Yeah, he has the chance. I hope not this time, but let's see.

Q. Your interactions with Jim Courier have been a lot of fun for the crowd. Are you enjoying them as much? What is about you and Jim that seems to work?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I love it. I love his questions. They're always different. I wonder if he prepares them like the night before or just before. It's always fun talking to him.

After Margaret Court interview, which I found maybe even funnier than today, I told him I hope that he likes interviewing me as much as I like being interviewed by him. It's a mutual connection.

Yeah, he seems like a super nice guy. Not much to add. I really like talking to him.

Q. Is it nice to be able to sort of show that side of your personality with him?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: 100%. I feel like, exactly as you say, when I talk to him, people can see this side of my personality because it's a little bit different than I'm on the tennis court. I try to be focus. Also I can get nervous. Then we see a guy that doesn't really talk much and only can get crazy. Even when I get crazy, I try to focus again, so I'm silent again. Maybe it looks strange.

At least when I talk, people can see that I can talk and be a normal person.

Q. Do you feel like you're winning over the crowd with your personality a bit, gaining a bit of extra support?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: This year is good, yeah. Was great. As I said already before the tournament, look, I want to try to change it. When I say 'to change it', not that, Guys, please love me, whatever, no. I just want to think less about it, do my job, play tennis. Still can get some interactions with my box, but less with the crowd.

Especially last year I felt like I've done a little bit too much. End of the season I was tired mentally. Then it's normal. There's 10,000 people. One guy would clap on a double-fault, I would go at him. I think, yeah, that was definitely not right.

I want to change in many, many aspects in my life. That's one of them. I think so far it's been working. Let's see how it goes later.

Q. Nuno played a great match. A hell of a lot of good dropshots. In the third set you raised your arms because you hit a winner off a dropshot. How frustrating is it to play someone like that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Tough, tough. As I said, for me, dropshots in general, I'm not scared of them. But he was playing some unbelievable dropshots at first. They were short before the net, not bouncing. Like, wow, really, really surprising. Sometimes he would do them, like, almost on the half volley where you're not expecting it. I think he did maybe - not to exaggerate - 20, minimum of 15 I would think.

Your legs hurt after running there, especially where I stay. Also his shots were so strong and heavy, which I couldn't see on TV when he played Grigor. There was an Australian Open statistic. His forehand was much heavier than Grigor's. That's strange. Grigor has a very heavy forehand. On the TV I couldn't see it. Today I felt it. He has really heavy strokes.

Every time he hit, I would be a little bit on my back foot. Then he dropshots, and it works well. It was frustrating, for sure. I'm happy that I managed to come through.

Q. Is there any scenario, any opponent, in which you would consider changing that position?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: 100%. I do it from time to time. I did last match I remember - if I'm not wrong - I think against Sinner in Turin, I tried to do it. Every time it's the same for me. Sometimes I can miss, like in US Open final against Novak where I think I should have done it. I do my thing, which is returning from far when I believe I can win a match like this, break a guy like this, then win my serve.

Sometimes, either before or during the match, if I don't believe it anymore, I go for it and I try something different. Let's see if it happens this tournament.

Q. Novak is always a talked about. This year Carlos and Jannik are in consideration as well. Do you feel like you're flying under the radar a little bit?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't think so. I think last year for sure we managed a little bit separate from other guys, especially in terms of points. If we take only Grand Slams, anyone can go far. That was a nice feeling to be in their group because they all play amazing tennis at this moment.

I know what I'm worth. I know how good I can play. I proved it in US Open, especially for myself, playing some tough opponents, in my opinion, like game style-wise. I managed to beat them.

I'm ready. Hopefully I can show it on the tennis court. We can talk forever who is ready, who is favorite. You need to win.

Q. I'm curious about the record with Hurkacz. Great serve, but there's plenty of other players with great serves. What specifically is it about him?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: For me it's really that, in my opinion, he serves bigger than many guys. I would compare it to something like Nick Kyrgios, very precise and at the same time strong. For me, Nuno was pretty precise with hes serve today, but even if it is pretty strong, it is not 220. I have time a little bit to just put some balls in, stuff like this.

Then we have some other guys, I'm not going to say names, can go 220, 230, will not be precise all the time. I can return this. That's a big quality.

I would say we don't have many guys. Hurkacz. Novak has really improved his serve. Jannik improved his serve big-time. Of course, as I say, Hurkacz, Kyrgios. Before Karlovic, Isner. I went when they were a little bit older. Who else can we have? I don't know if I'm in this category. I don't serve strong, barely 210, but I feel but I feel like I serve precise.

He's top two or three serves on tour. It's hard to return him. I'm going to have my eyes prepared and try to catch everything I can on Wednesday.