NITTO ATP FINALS

November 12, 2024

Daniil Medvedev

Inalpi Arena,Torino

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/A. de Minaur

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, well done. How satisfied were you with your level today?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Was great, great match. Happy with the level, for sure. Looking forward, but without any expectations, but in a good way. Just do whatever I can. If it's good, it's good. If it's not good, it's okay. Looking forward.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Alex was saying that he felt maybe it was a case that you didn't play that well in the first one, and you were able to play a lot more freely because you didn't feel there was much to prove. Would that be fair?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, I definitely played much better today. I did change something in my equipment before this match, which usually you don't do during the tournament. But since I lost the first match, I was basically thinking more about next season already.

When you have a pre-season, even in Mouratoglou Academy where I practice, it's a good facility with a bubble, with a good temperature. The balls, they are held in a cold atmosphere, et cetera. It's never the same than in the ATP match. Whenever you test in pre-season, then you come to Australia, it's a different story.

I had two matches here to test something. I did it today and it worked well. That's also the case of just changing something outside of my responsibility.

As I said, I went into the match really, really trying to not care if I lose or win, if I play good or not. It worked out well for me today. Of course, unfortunate for Alex because I played 26 times better than the first match.

Yeah, that's how tennis is sometimes. I hope he can play well in the last match. Maybe it's going to be important for me (smiling).

Q. Yesterday Sascha said he'd done some research into the tennis balls and he found that the companies are actually using worse materials. Causes the pressure in the balls to decrease, that's why they kind of die in the air. Ideally they would start using better materials. If that's not possible, what would you like to see the tournaments?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I heard. I don't know where Sascha did the research. I didn't do it and I don't know how to do it. I heard about this.

Some players like me that are not satisfied with the balls, they're saying it's exactly after COVID that it changed. That's a little bit my feeling. 2022 was my worst year. I had to change strings for softer ones so my ball goes faster through the air because I basically couldn't hit a winner anymore. It worked well.

This year I changed for softer ones. On clay and grass, it was tougher to play. Anyway, it became a little bit of a mental hustle. Today I changed again and it was well. That's exactly what he explained is exactly what I feel, that the ball dies in the air.

For guys like Alcaraz, Sinner, finally Sascha manages it well, even if I in a way would be maybe a bit surprised because he kind of has my (indiscernible), like height, et cetera. But he manages it well. They can attack the dead ball so it doesn't loose pace through the bounce and in the air.

Me, it's about, for example, when I was returning from five meters away before, I really didn't care if someone did serve and volley. I was just hitting winners. People were saying, Maybe serve and volley against him.

I was like, Do it.

I remember now one point against Arnaldi. It was third set. I won't remember the score. Maybe 15-All in one of the games. When I touched the ball, he went to the net on my forehand, I go down the line because that's a little bit easiest way. The moment I hit the ball, I am like, Wow, that's amazing shot. I could feel it. He got a little bit lucky. He made a very good volley.

Normally he should not be on the ball, it should be a winner. But the ball dies in the air. When I return from five meters back, at the end the ball literally stops so the guy has time to attack me. That's what I feel.

That's what I said against Taylor Fritz, literally everyone can stay in the rally now. That was my force before. I was able to stay in the rally longer than many of my opponents.

But now everyone can do it. No matter how tall you are, how bad movement you are, how unforced errors you can make, now everyone can do it. My force just got struck. It's tough feeling.

I manage it how I can. I'm No. 4 in the world. I'm playing good. It's a little bit of a disadvantage for me.

Q. Balls and schedule. Can you help me to understand your suggestion to solve the two problems. Maybe to play the same ball in the same group of tournaments, the same surface first. Second, what about the schedule? What could be your suggestion to play less, whatever? Just one idea.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I'm scared it's going to be the longest press conference in my life (smiling).

Basically about it balls, it's going to be easy. If it's true what Sascha said, I don't know, use better materials. I liked what Casper said also. There should be variety 'cause some players will benefit from these balls, and it's okay for me.

The problem is that now Penn, Wilson, Head. I heard Tecnifibre is good, but they only played them in Rotterdam, so I didn't play them this year.

They are different, but they all die in the air. There is not one ball that I played this year which didn't die in the air was Olympic Games. I loved it. I lost. I didn't win the tournament. I should be here, Oh, my God, the balls. No. I lost there, but I love the balls. I love playing there.

Yeah, I think there should be variety. Some balls don't die in the air, some do. Some tournaments I'm not going to like it, some I should like it, but not play 365 days struggling, as I said.

About the schedule? I got this question not long ago. I think I found a good answer from my side. This year I only tried to play big tournaments. I think I only played three 500s. One preparation for Wimbledon. One Dubai, which was some time after Australian Open. Ones was Beijing, in the Shanghai swing, so it's a good tournament to play.

I think somehow there should be, yeah, more bigger, important tournaments, which should be like, Okay, these are the tournaments where we define who is going to be top 10, like Masters 1000. You play good in them, you will be there.

Yeah, the schedule should somehow be around them. Like there should not be a 250 after Paris Bercy where Casper, Andrey and Alex have to go there, then they withdraw or something.

Yeah, I remember Rafa once said it. The season should finish earlier, then you put all the 250s after for people that want to continue playing. If you're good enough, you finish the season in whatever, October, play in Masters. Doesn't matter. Doesn't count the tournaments after.

If you still feel like you need more points for Australian Open or more matches, you do it after. I think that's something to consider because Carlos said it yesterday. First match I had a meltdown because every match I go, I usually go with a willingness to fight till the end to win. When it doesn't work your way, I get frustrated sometimes.

This match basically went I don't care. It's good for me, I won. But I would lose the same score, you would not see one emotion on my face. I would be here talking happy, whatever. I go home Thursday. I'm okay.

That's not good when you play the Masters in Turin for huge money, huge points. I don't care. 200 points, whatever. Good for me. Should be different.

Q. I'd like to ask you about your self-harming. You almost seem to enjoy when someone is whistling, when the crowd is getting angry at you. Why do you do that? Do you really like it? Is that your goal in a way?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, no.

Q. To provoke the crowd.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It was before. It was before. Now I don't like it anymore. I'm not as young, I don't have the same adrenaline.

Even like against Fritz when I was deservedly booed, a little bit, not too much. I like when there is respect. I have to earn it from my side. But when there is respect both ways, it's the best way.

Yeah, there were some matches in my career, especially for sure against Rafa in Australian Open. I feel like I didn't deserve what I felt there, but it's okay.

In general I prefer more to be like today where I'm calm, I'm composed, and the crowd feels it, the crowd likes it. Sometimes they support you. Sometimes they support the other. It's better.

I'm someone that has let's call it one time per year I would have self-harm problems. It's definitely better not to do your self harm.

Q. You invented something for the new season in the match we saw today. What are you going to invent for the match against Jannik, considering that you lost seven out of the last eight?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Nothing too much. I feel like, it's going to sound strange because I lost a lot of matches, but I feel like tactically I know what I have to do. It's just a problem the guy's playing really good. You can do the best match possible tactically, tennis-wise, and you can still lose. That's the reality. It's not an easy reality.

Now as I said after the match today, I'm ready, I go out, I play my tennis, I lose easy, it's okay. I win easy, it's perfect. I lose tough, it's okay. I win tough, it's perfect.

I will see how it goes. I will try to prepare well tactically and I will just go for it.

Q. What does this mean, the thing when you stick your fingers in your ears? What were you trying to say? Also this idea of not caring, is that something you can do for the whole year? You clearly played pretty well for someone who didn't seem to care.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, impossible to do it throughout the whole year. That's not a good mentality to have throughout the whole year because at one moment you literally going to not care and lose because of it. It. That's not an ideal way.

When it's end of the season, when you get complete meltdown against Fritz the match before, you lose your mind, because I did lose my mind, sometimes it's a solution.

Again, I have either two or maybe more matches. Now it's one. Whatever. I'll go for it. Not even to have fun, but to not leave the match being, like, Oh, my God, I had a meltdown, what happened. Whatever happens happens. Just forget about it.

About blocking the noise. Yeah, for sure a lot of noise from myself to myself, from other people, from people around me, from people on social media or even in the stands.

I decided today, Okay, I have to sometimes every time learn again to block the noise. Some football players do this celebration. I think Memphis Depay was the first. I love this celebration in general. That's why I decided to do it. Helped me today.