Daniil Medvedev Gives ‘Don’t Really Care’ Verdict After Jannik Sinner’s Return to Tennis
Daniil Medvedev is projected to square off against World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the final of the Italian Open.
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Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)
Jannik Sinner has made his comeback from his doping ban at the Italian Open and produced a strong performance against his opening-round rival Mariano Navone. When Daniil Medvedev was asked to comment on Sinner’s return, he didn’t give a straight answer.
Medvedev last won a title in this tournament back in 2023. After breezing past Cameron Norrie and Alexei Popyrin, he set up a fourth-round clash with Lorenzo Musetti.
When the Russian was asked about Sinner’s comeback by Sky Sports, he recalled Casper Ruud‘s ‘hamster’ analogy about the life of a tennis player. Medvedev here perhaps implied that Sinner or no Sinner, the tour will continue without any hindrance.
It’s an individual sport. It’s like a hamster on a wheel, but there are a hundred of us standing close together, and unfortunately, when one of the hamsters is replaced, they don’t really care. For my part, I can say that I’m very happy to have Jannik back.
Daniil Medvedev said
So far in the season, Medvedev has progressed to two semifinals (at the Open 13 and Indian Wells). Before the Italian Open, he faced a straight-set defeat to eventual winner Ruud in the Madrid Open quarterfinals.
Medvedev has met his fourth-round opponent Musetti twice, winning both the matches. The upcoming match will be their first clash on clay and their third meeting in a Masters 1000 tournament following the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Masters in 2023.
Sinner tested positive for clostebol last year in March twice and was initially given a no-fault or negligence verdict by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that saw Sinner escaping a ban. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) challenged the judgment and approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to demand a long ban.
But the WADA surprisingly reached a settlement agreement with the World No.1 and instead, handed him a three-month ban. Sinner missed two hard-court and two clay-court Masters 1000 events along with several other ATP 500 ones.
Lorenzo Musetti dreams of playing the Italian Open final against Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner will be meeting Jesper de Jong in the third round. The three-time Grand Slam champion has won their lone encounter in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open.
He is projected to lock horns with Lorenzo Musetti in the final. The 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, after his win over Brandon Nakashima, made his feelings known about the possibility of a clash with Sinner.
A final with Sinner? It’s the dream of all of Italy, the tournament deserves it. For our performance and the results we’re all showing, the tournament deserves it.
Lorenzo Musetti told Sky Sports
But before the final, Musetti could face a daunting task in the form of World No.2 Alexander Zverev and World No.3 Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Sinner has won both the matches he played against his compatriot.
The Italian Open is Sinner’s first tournament since the Australian Open in January, where he became a three-time Grand Slam champion by breezing past Zverev in straight sets. Sinner could set up a clash with the German in the Italian Masters 1000 event if both of them reach the final.
Though Musetti hasn’t yet won a title this season, he so far on the clay swing has produced decent performances. He kick-started his campaign on the red dirt by reaching the Monte Carlo Masters final, which he lost to Alcaraz. After skipping the Barcelona Open due to an injury, he lost to Jack Daper in the semifinal of the Madrid Open.
Sinner didn’t play the home tournament last year because of an injury. Musetti, on the other hand, handed a walkover to his opening-round opponent.
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