Daniil Medvedev makes brutally honest confession about returning to the top of tennis | Tennis | Sport
Daniil Medvedev is enjoying a resurgent run in Shanghai, where he’s through to the semi-finals. A former world No. 1 and Grand Slam champion, it’s been a tough season for Medvedev, who has dropped down the rankings, but he’s started to rediscover some of his best tennis during this Asian swing.
The Russian beat Alexander Zverev on the way to the China Open semi-finals in Beijing a couple of weeks ago, and he’s now through to the last four of the Shanghai Masters. Now set to jump back up to No. 15 in the world, Medvedev meets Arthur Rinderknech for a spot in the final.
While Medvedev certainly seems to have found some form, the 29-year-old got brutally honest about his motivation and wasn’t sure whether he was ready to “give anything more” to return to the very top of the game.
The Russian already has a Hall of Fame-worthy career. He won his first, and so far only, Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final to deny Djokovic the calendar Grand Slam.
Medvedev also ended the Big Four’s 18-year stronghold atop the rankings, becoming world No. 1 for the first time in 2022. However, he’s not won a title in more than two years and has suffered some early exits at the biggest tournaments this season.
The 2019 Shanghai Masters winner is still fighting to get back to his best, but he believes there may not be much more to give if he wants to be crowned a Grand Slam champion again.
“I mean, it’s a tough question because I give everything. So I already give a lot, I’m not sure I am ready to give anything more for this,” Medvedev admitted.
“I just want to do my best. I did my best throughout the whole year. It was a very tough year. I was not playing my best. So I’m happy that at this moment I’m showing some great tennis, some great signs of my previous self or my new self, and just looking for next one.”
Medvedev has survived some tough matches this week. The No. 16 seed started cramping when he faced Learner Tien in the fourth round, and it almost looked like a repeat of their recent Beijing semi-final, in which Medvedev retired in the third set.
But he battled through to get the win, and then beat world No. 7 Alex de Minaur 6-4 6-4 in the quarter-finals.
Medvedev later said: “Yeah, it was a great match. I was serving good in important moments. For sure, a couple of double-faults in the first set. I was soaking wet, it was so tough to hold the racket. I’m just super happy to be in the semi-finals in Shanghai. I’m looking forward to the next match.
“The year has been very tough. I feel great. I’m happy to try to finish on a high note. I love Shanghai, so I’m happy to play good tennis here. It’s not over yet. I will try to do my best in the semis.”
