ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

October 30, 2024

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

A. POPYRIN/D. Medvedev

6-4, 2-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, tough luck. How did you find the conditions out there today? How do you rate Alexei's performance?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, tough match. Could have done a lot better. But at the same time, had my chances and didn't use them.

Yeah, tough match. Close match. Could have done better. That's basically it. He played -- I mean, I don't know if he played well, but he won the match, so great for him. He has a chance to go more forward, to play good and et cetera, and I don't have this chance.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Bad luck, Daniil. There has been a lot of talk about the speed of the courts, they're the fastest on tour this year. We know how you feel about slow courts. Curious how you thought about them.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I like the court, but for me it's not about slow or fast. It's just that sometimes it's too slow. When I talk about courts, it happened one Indian Wells, and to be honest, I don't remember much, talking more than there. So it became a big story, and now you're asking me all the time. But I only talked there, you know (smiling).

So the court I think was, like, fine. Yeah, maybe, when I say a bit too fast, when it's the fastest on tour, you can feel it, everyone can feel it, so we're like a bit of surprised. We need time to adapt to it.

I have a bigger problem on tour. You know, some players get advantaged by it; some players disadvantaged. It's okay. It can happen. But it's big disadvantage for me.

First rounds are always very tough for me, because now the matches I was winning before maybe 3-3, I cannot do it anymore. Every match I play I have to fight. I have to win 7-6 in the third. And sometimes I lose.

Yeah, that's a reality. It's the most first-round exits for me since probably 2018, I would guess, or maybe even further, on hard courts. And there is a reason for this.

Q. What do you think is the reason? I have to ask it.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, from one side I don't want to be the one who is crying when he's losing first round, but I made semis in Beijing and quarters in Shanghai. I lost only to Alcaraz and Sinner. I was crying there also, even winning matches.

As I say, some players will like this ball, so I get it. I'm crying because it disadvantages me. But if you take six balls out of the new balls out of the can, if you look closely and you bounce them, there are going to be six different balls. I don't think that's how it's supposed to be.

Q. You have a particular statistic: You have never won the same tournament twice. Is something that is funny for you or puts pressure on you?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think more funny. Every tournament I play I try to win, and I actually had some opportunities to win twice. I think I was really close somewhere. Like Vienna I was pretty close with Jannik to win it actually two times in a row. I think it was somewhere else I was in the final.

No pressure. Just, yeah, funny statistic, which I want to change. I'm already 28, 29 next year (smiling). I want to change it, but so far I didn't manage to do it. I'm going to try again. Maybe I should play to 50 somewhere where I won already (smiling).

Q. You have already won the Finals, and...

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: You think I can do it twice (smiling)?

Q. Most important, the athletic condition or mental condition?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Everything. Tennis is also important. Confidence. I'm going to arrive I have no confidence, but try to build it, practice, the practice time I have. Everything super important.

So I don't know what is more important, because yeah, you play tough players. If mentally you are like today you lose 7-6 in the third, maybe physically -- well, physically I was feeling not too bad, but physically you need to be good because you are going to play players that are ready physically.

And tennis still needs to be good. You need to make a return winner when you need to, et cetera. So everything is important.

Q. How much of an impact do you think coaching from the stands makes on tennis matches?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I don't know. I don't think it can make a huge difference. It can make some difference, and I'm okay with it. Like, you know, if some coach tells to my opponent, serve to his forehand more now, whatever, it's a tennis game. It's okay. He could have thought about it himself. If it's his coach who tells him, I don't care.

For me, it's not a problem. Yeah, and I don't have anything like against it or for it. If it would not be there, I would be happy. It's there, I'm happy. Whatever.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Carlos Alcaraz declared Monday that Giovanni was the best server on tour. Could you confirm that? And he weighs 102 kilos. Do you think he could be a top-10 or even win a Grand Slam?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yes, I think he could be a top-10 player. He's not far. He's 40, 30 now with his title. I don't know where he is now.

Q. 30.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Well, you can reach the top 10. It's far, not far. We never know, but he could.

As for a Grand Slam, it won't be easy for him. Even in Basel he had four deciders, so it's a five-setter in Grand Slam. He could win. And from the baseline, he plays quite well. Even for 102 kilos he plays really well.

It might be more difficult for him than others. He plays well. Is he the best server on the tour? Yes, he might. And maybe when he comes back, we can ask him about this.

I saw stats that his second-serve ball is quite fast, so yeah, I think he could do it.