Daniil Medvedev Admits He was ‘Annoyed’ After Martin Landaluce Accidentally Hits Him During Rome Clash

Daniil Medvedev accepted the apology after Martin Landaluce accidentally hit him during their quarterfinal match at the Italian Open. Medvedev came from a set down to clinch a 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over the Spaniard, reaching the Italian Open semifinal for the second time in his career.

During the customary handshake, the 20-year-old apologized to the 2021 US Open champion, saying, “Sorry for the ball,” after Landaluce had hit him a few points earlier. Medvedev admitted that he was annoyed at first but assured Landaluce that there’s no bad blood between them.

Oh yes! There’s no problem. I was annoyed at the time, but it was worth winning the point. Good fight, good fight.

Daniil Medvedev said

Check out the video here:

Martín Landaluce se ha disculpado en la red por una bola que le había tirado al cuerpo a Daniil Medvedev en uno de los últimos juegos del partido. Gran gesto. pic.twitter.com/86cc5FIDyy

— Germán R. Abril (@gerebit0) May 14, 2026

Landaluce reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the second time in his career following this year’s Miami Open, where eventual runner-up Jiri Lehecka knocked him out in straight sets. Landaluce competed in the Rome Masters 1000 for the first time in his career.

It was here back in 2023 that Medvedev lifted his career’s first clay-court title by defeating Holger Rune. The 30-year-old has not yet won a Big Title this year.

I think I played the last two matches great. First set today, of course, I could play better because I lost it 6-1. At the same time, I don’t think I had much to do there. And third set really high level. Especially at the end. I felt like I got a bit unlucky and could be more decisive to win before. But I love the way I was playing. Looking forward.

Daniil Medvedev said during the on-court interview

Medvedev last won a title at this year’s Dubai Tennis Championships by defeating Tallon Griekspoor. Before Dubai, he lifted the Brisbane International by defeating Brandon Nakashima.

Daniil Medvedev will next meet Jannik Sinner

Daniil Medvedev will next be up against the toughest opponent of the tournament – World No.1 Jannik Sinner. The Italian ace breezed past Andrey Rublev to schedule his 17th match against Medvedev. Sinner holds a 9-7 head-to-head edge over Medvedev, last defeating him in this year’s Indian Wells final.

Now, I’m going to face an opponent I know much better. This is the first time I play against Jannik (Sinner) on clay. I know that tomorrow (Friday) it won’t be easy to spend my time defending. I’ll try to be aggressive, but I know this is clay-court tennis. I have to think a lot about my game. I played Jannik in Indian Wells.

Daniil Medvedev said at the press conference

Sinner is chasing history in his home tournament. Last year in Rome, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the final and later lost the French Open to the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

Jannik is a great player, the best in the world. It’s a fantastic test to try to give the best of myself. If you want to beat these kinds of players, you have to play your best tennis. I’m not crazy, I’m not going to hit every shot near the lines. You have to be really in form for your shots to work, for your serve to work, to put him under pressure.

Daniil Medvedev added

Victory in Rome will make the 24-year-old the first player to win six back-to-back Masters 1000s. It will also make him the second man, after Novak Djokovic, to complete the Career Golden Masters. Sinner already broke Nole’s record of 31-match winning streak in the Masters 1000s, with his last defeat at this level being his third-round exit in last year’s Shanghai Masters.

Also read: Former Grand Slam Champion Slams Alexander Zverev for ‘Reacting Like a Child’ After Rome Exit: “I Get Bored”