Daniil Medvedev Makes Feelings Known on ‘Very Complicated’ Anti-Doping Process

Daniil Medvedev has not yet won a title since lifting his first clay-court trophy at the 2023 Italian Open.

Daniil Medvedev Makes Feelings Known on ‘Very Complicated’ Anti-Doping Process

Daniil Medvedev (via X/The Tennis Letter)

Daniil Medvedev has now lost six first-round matches in his nine appearances at the French Open. On Tuesday (May 27th), Medvedev made an emphatic comeback against Cameron Norrie after losing the first two sets.

But he couldn’t end the match in his favor, losing with a 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5 scoreline after nearly four hours. At the press conference later, the Russian weighed in on the urgent nature of the anti-doping tests.

Medvedev was asked if he had ever drug tested early in the morning, or whether the tests disrupted his preparation. The 29-year-old joked, saying if the anti-doping officials make up their mind to test players in the press room, they have the right to do so.

It’s complicated if you lie to them and say it’s not you, maybe…but anyway, that’s going too far in the discussion (laughs). This never happens. If we have early training, let’s say we leave the hotel at 8:00, normally you put from 6:00 to 7:00, because you’re afraid that if you put from 7:00 to 8:00, they’ll come at 8:00 and you’ll miss the training. It’s a hassle, it’s very complicated.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka was drug tested five in the morning before her French Open campaign. Since Tallon Griekspoor couldn’t pee, he watched an X Game for three hours with an anti-doping official. Jack Draper thinks the doping control sometimes turns awkward for both the players and the tester.

Daniil Medvedev reveals if the way he processes defeats has changed

Daniil Medvedev didn’t rant or express his frustration about playing on clay, which the tennis world knows he hates playing on. He in fact was content with his result on the red dirt and thought his performance on the hard court was poor this year.

Daniil Medvedev Monte Carlo Masters 2025
Daniil Medvedev (image via ATP)

Medvedev was asked in the press conference to compare his reactions to defeats and whether the way he processed his defeats has changed over the years. The 2021 US Open winner said that he is optimistic that he will get back to winning ways as the year progresses.

I was disappointed to lose, but I have 10 more tournaments this year, or maybe 12, I don’t know. I have to try to play them well. The first round is not the final. It’s not the same energy, not the same feeling. Depending, for example, the match against Rafa [Nadal] hurt me a lot. The one against Jannik [Sinner], not really, I was dead, and he played well.

The former World No.1, apart from the 2021 US Open, has also reached five more Grand Slam finals. Four times he faced defeats to either Novak Djokovic or Nadal. The last time he reached a Grand Slam final was at the 2024 Australian Open where, despite winning the first two sets, he ended up losing the match to Sinner.

The next target is to win a title on grass, where he has won just one trophy and has a 56-24 win-loss record. The lone title on the surface he lifted at the 2021 Mallorca Open.

Daniil Medvedev hasn’t yet won a title since the 2023 Italian Open

Medvedev, who hates playing on clay but it’s on this surface he last lifted a trophy. It was at the 2023 Italian Open where the winner of 20 tour-level singles titlist went past Holger Rune to win his first and only title on the red clay. On the clay, he has a 94-52 win-loss record.

Daniil Medvedev 1
Daniil Medvedev (Image via /Meddy Family)

This season, his best performance came at Indian Wells where he reached the semifinals but lost the match to Rune. Before the French Open, Medvedev was defeated in the fourth round of the Italian Open by home favorite Lorenzo Musetti.

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