Daniil Medvedev cites the reason for the unnecessary HATE Novak Djokovic receives comparing it to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
Daniil Medvedev takes on Frances Tiafoe for a spot in the finals of the ongoing Indian Wells Open.
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Medvedev and Big-3
In light of his two brief stints as world No. 1, Daniil Medvedev has shared insights on what he gained from the experience, as well as his surprise at the existence of haters for tennis icons Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Medvedev ascended to the top spot for the first time in February 2022, but his reign lasted just three weeks.
He reclaimed the position in the summer, but once again, his tenure was brief, as Carlos Alcaraz became world No. 1 following his victory at the US Open. With a 16-week stint as World No. 1 in 2022, Medvedev has secured the 18th longest reign atop the ATP rankings. Though currently positioned at No. 6, his impressive 18-match winning streak is propelling him forward.
Speaking after the match, Medvedev said, “This pressure of being No. 1, for sure a lot of haters, and that’s normal. Novak [Djokovic] has a lot of haters. Even Rafa and Roger somehow have them. You’re like, how is this possible? They shouldn’t have. That taught me to even less care about this and focus more on myself, on my close people around me because that’s the only way you can stay sane and true to you, to kind of, to have no regrets.”
Talking about the pressure he said, “For sure, the pressure is not easy because you know that everyone expects a lot from you. Are the tennis players trying to beat you more when you’re No. 1? I don’t know. I hope not because it would be better for them if they try to do it every match, no matter which number you are at the ranking”
Daniil Medvedev faces the local boy Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals clash
Maintaining his impressive momentum, Daniil Medvedev secured a spot in the Indian Wells semi-finals by defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. His upcoming opponent in the semi-finals is France Tiafoe, who advanced through victories over Marcos Giron, Jason Kubler, and Alejandro Tabilo to reach the quarter-finals, where he triumphed over former Indian Wells champion Cameron Norrie.
In their head-to-head matches, Medvedev has emerged victorious in all four encounters against Tiafoe. Their most recent meeting at the 2021 Miami Open ended in a straight-set win for the Russian athlete. With the current form Medvedev is in, it looks obvious that he will win the match. However, Tiafoe can be lethal too having the crowd behind him to push him harder.
Despite expressing concerns about the conditions at the tournament, Medvedev has persevered, winning his matches even when pushed to three sets. While he has thus far been successful in countering Tiafoe’s style of play, the American’s consistently strong performance throughout the week suggests that an upset could be in store if he maintains his level of play.
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Santhosh Tenneti
(308 Articles Published)