ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2024

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/T. Machac

7-6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Since the start of the tournament, you talk about Gilles Simon several times on the court. Can you explain us your work with him and what kind of coach he is.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, well, it's going to be tough to explain in short, but in general, first of all, he has the mentality of a winner, which is important for me. Like, you can feel it straight away in people.

The most important is me on the court, and I feel that he wants me to win, and that's important when you have your team around you. You need to have people that want you to win, like this. You get more of this winner energy and winner mentality. That's the first and the most important part.

Then there are a lot of technical and tactical details. It can only be details because he cannot change my game. That we try to adapt sometimes during the match, before the match, and after the match we discuss what can I do, what could I do better, et cetera, some shots, some tactical decisions.

So, yeah, to be honest, there is nothing crazy about the work, but it's a very productive work, so not more to say.

Q. It was a tough four-setter for you today. Also a tough four-setter for Alex de Minaur, who you've got next. He was just saying he sees the match against you as being tactical and one with long rallies. What are your thoughts going in against Demon?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Definitely. We both move great. I feel like we both know how to attack well, but at the same time we're not someone who both of us who can make one shot that's going to decide the rally, so then the rally goes long and long because we both defend well.

I feel like we had a lot of good matches. Some he won; some I won. Some were in a way better than the others. Some were maybe a bit worse level. All of them were fun, and I'm looking forward to it.

First time on clay. We practiced a week before Roland Garros in Monte-Carlo. I think we can both play well, and it's going to be interesting.

Q. It's a bit of a strange thing there late in the fourth set with the bird on the court. Just wondering, first of all, did you see it? Had you ever seen that happen before where the chair had to come down to rescue an animal during a match? When something like that happens as it's in the late stages, can it be a distraction, or can it maybe only be a good thing if it relaxes you, let's say, or takes your mind off the moment?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: In this moment it was really good for me because in Grand Slams you have less time on the bench. I think it's 1:15. Where in ATP tournaments it's 1:30. It's just 15 seconds, but throughout the five sets you can feel this 15 seconds.

So we had a crazy game before this happened, and so it was a moment when time should be called. When I saw it, well, I hope the bird was okay. It was not looking good. I think maybe something with the wing.

But I was like, oh, my God, if it gives me extra minute to breath, it would be perfect, and it did. For me it was a good moment.

I don't think something like this can really distract us, but again, give some extra moment to breathe was good. Maybe it was the same for Tomas.

The referee did a good job. He was very gentle. I think important. I hope the bird is fine. Maybe they take it to the vet clinic or something. I don't know. We need to ask what happened after.

Q. Can I just ask, today we had Badosa and Sabalenka, best friends playing each other. How have you found it when you've had to play Andrey? Is there an awkwardness there? How do you manage that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think there can be a bit awkwardness before and after the match. Depending whoever won, it doesn't matter who, you always feel like, what do I do next? If you win, you see him in the locker room and everything. Definitely not going to be the first one to talk if you won. Same for him.

Then maybe before the match you also don't know exactly how to act, but you're in the match. Everyone wants to win. I think we really, really -- if it's me and Andrey, I'm sure we don't care that we're best friends on the court. We have had some brutal matches.

To be honest, it's very easy for me on the court. I want to win. Out of the court I'm a chill person that can talk to anyone.

Q. You mentioned in your other press conference that you watched Iga versus Naomi. I'm curious what you make of Iga in general. She's going for three Roland Garroses in a row, which has rarely happened ever.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: She plays strong. Not more I can say. She's a very strong player. She wins a lot of tournaments. Even if Aryna, Elena, and I would guess Coco, they try to be there. Probably Aryna beat more lately, but still, I feel like Iga is constantly proving that for the moment she's No. 1. I mean, the rankings that show it.

She plays strong, hits strong. So the match yesterday, again, because they don't put her in night session, we talked about it last time, I can see the match because I don't watch the night sessions. Too much of a hassle, like this, that. Yesterday she was crushing the ball, was playing so good.

Nothing more I can add. Very strong player and deservedly now No. 1.

Q. Just wondering what you made of Tomas's performance today and also whether you would agree that he maybe with his game could be ranked even higher?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Today he played very strong, and I think -- I would say in my opinion top-10 level. Maybe because he lost in the important moments maybe we could say top-20. I watched his other matches. I think today was a really good match from him because I saw in the other matches he was missing a bit more I think than today.

So every time we played an important moment and he would hit a winner, I was like, I just watched your match two days ago and you were missing this shot. He played good. If he plays like this, he is going up the rankings.

I feel like the dynamic in tennis is very important. He's going up the rankings, he's doing good results. If he continues this way, that's when you go top 30, top 20, maybe top 10. If you stop at one moment, it can become tougher. We know a lot of players that have struggled in the moment.

So he's playing good. Let's see what he brings.

Q. Always like to come to your press conference because they are always clever answer.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Thanks.

Q. When there are two roofs and there are players who play under the roof all the time and players who never play, is it completely different tournament for those who play under the roof and those who don't? Especially on clay because clay, the surface changes.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yes, for sure. If you play under the roof, first of all, a little bit when your match start, when it's going to finish, so you don't lose time and days. Grigor is playing now, and he has to play tomorrow, I guess. That's going to be interesting to see.

So for sure it makes your life easier. I'm sure in five years we're going to have maybe three roofs. In ten years maybe four. So it's going to be better for everyone.

Conditions, I think they are different, but the bigger the court, the less the roof matters for conditions.

So I don't think it's a big difference like when a player like Tomas comes on Suzanne Lenglen and plays under the roof. I played there last match under the roof. I honestly don't think it makes a huge difference, but it's a better question to ask him because for me it would be tough to answer. I play, luckily, on big courts (laughing).

Q. You just said something that feeds right into my question. You said you can talk to anybody. Just for the fun of it, if you could have a little dinner party with three people in tennis history, anybody --

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Tennis history, okay.

Q. Yeah, anybody. To sit down, have a fun dinner or an interesting dinner, who would it be and what would the conversation be?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Important question. What would we talk about? Would we talk tennis or life because it's going to depend.

Q. You would talk life.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Life, so no tennis.

Q. You can talk a little tennis.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: A little tennis. I would say Novak just because, you know, I would like to know his -- it's a funny question. When you say three people, I want to an honest conversation where I can ask question, they can ask questions, it's private, no cameras, and we can really talk honestly.

I would say Novak, number one. Two others, and in the tennis history you say... John McEnroe, two, not bad company. Number three, Kafelnikov. We're not close. So that would be my three.