Daniil Medvedev claims Novak Djokovic pushes him to become a better player while citing how the Serb and Rafael Nadal are the ones who’ve stopped him from winning Grand Slams

Medvedev gives credits to rivals for making him better.

Daniil Medvedev claims Novak Djokovic pushes him to become a better player while citing how the Serb and Rafael Nadal are the ones who’ve stopped him from winning Grand Slams

Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic (Via Imago)

In the world of tennis, rivalry exists not only to define champions but also to forge them. The players get better only by learning from their opponents and it is a huge deal if a player vocalizes the effect their rival has on them. Russian Daniil Medvedev did the same recently and vocalized the effects his rivals like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have had on him.

In the interview during the prize distribution, Daniil expressed his gratitude towards his rivals. “I find it amazing that I beat Novak in a Grand Slam Final. At this point, I’d say that’s the pinnacle of my career. And at the same time, if he and Rafa didn’t exist, well, that’s not possible. I played 5 finals against them and only won 1, I don’t know if that’s good or bad. But you know he pushes me to be better,” said Medvedev in the interview.

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Determined to better his performance, the Russian is fueled by the challenges Rafa and Nole present. He credited Djokovic for elevating his gameplay and conveying respect rather than resentment.

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The 27-year-old Russian won his first ever Grand Slam at the US Open against Novak back in 2021 but lost to the same opponent two years later. As Daniil once said, Novak will return as a completely different player and the Serb exactly did that at the 2023 US Open title.

Related: WATCH: Novak Djokovic shares an EMOTIONAL hug with his daughter immediately after beating Daniil Medvedev to win his 24th Grand Slam title at US Open

Daniil Medvedev expresses his gratitude towards Novak’s kind nature

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Via Imago)

Novak Djokovic, the oldest-ever US Open winner, created history by winning his 24th Grand Slam title. He is known for his kind-hearted nature off and on the court.

The fans saw a glimpse of this kindness when Novak went to check on Medvedev and offered a hand after the Russian had a terrible fall during a game. However, the Russian Daniil Medvedev has had first-hand witness to Novak’s kindness before. “We met when I was 500 in the world. He was super kind to me. He treated me as a normal person. He still does. Nothing changed. 24 Grand Slams, nothing changed. I think that’s something great about a person,” recalled the Russian No. 1 player.

The US Open has concluded with a bang as the favorite returning superstar of tennis won the American Major for the 4th time. The 36-year-old is nowhere close to retirement and the future only holds great things for the Serb.

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