Daniil Medvedev hilariously recalls getting crowd’s support for the first time while playing Rafael Nadal in ‘crazy’ 2019 US Open final

Daniil Medvedev talked about how the crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium supported him during his match against Rafael Nadal in 2019 US Open final.

Daniil Medvedev hilariously recalls getting crowd’s support for the first time while playing Rafael Nadal in ‘crazy’ 2019 US Open final

Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal (Images via X)

Daniil Medvedev recalled the final he played against Rafael Nadal after breezing past Nuno Borges in the fourth round of the US Open. Medvedev defeated the Portuguese inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium, the same court where he suffered a five-set loss to Nadal in the final of the 2019 edition. 

Medvedev has come close to winning majors multiple times but was successful just once. He won the 2021 US Open by beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets. After beating Borges, the Russian told Nick Kyrgios about how the crowd always rooted for Nadal every time he played against the Spaniard except for the 2019 US Open final.

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I love playing here. I still remember the crazy 2019 edition…Especially the final against Rafa. To be honest, everywhere I played him, the crowd was really into him. I played him once during Covid, and there was no one there, but I still felt that the crowd was for him. 
Daniil Medvedev told Nick Kyrgios after the match 

Medvedev met Nadal six times, winning just one game. That lone victory came in the semifinals of the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals. They last met in 2022 in Acapulco and faced each other twice in major events. Nadal is not playing at Flushing Meadows and is set to play at the Laver Cup this month. 

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Daniil Medvedev will meet Jannik Sinner in the US Open quarterfinals 

Except for his first-round match, Daniil Medvedev has registered all his wins easily in straight sets. The 28-year-old is set to face his biggest challenge of the tournament when he will meet Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals. Sinner overcame home favorite Tommy Paul in the fourth round to set up the clash with Medvedev. 

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Image via X)

Sinner has faced Medvedev 12 times, winning five of those matches. They have met thrice this year, including in the Australian Open final where Sinner won his first Grand Slam title of his career with a five-set win. In their last encounter, however, it was Medvedev who emerged victorious. It was in the Wimbledon quarterfinals where the 23-year-old was denied his second major title with a five-set defeat. 

Both Sinner and Medvedev are the contenders to win at Flushing Meadows following Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz‘s exits as the Paris Olympic gold and silver medalists lost in the third and second rounds respectively. If Sinner wins the US Open, it will be his sixth title of the season. 

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