Daniil Medvedev wary of Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros despite sliding to No. 3 in ATP rankings

Daniil Medvedev is happier to move to rank 2 as it improves his French Open chances.

Daniil Medvedev wary of Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros despite sliding to No. 3 in ATP rankings

Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic (Image Credit: ATP)

Daniil Medvedev won his first-ever clay court title in Rome at the Italian Open 2023. That has pulled his ranking to World No. 2. Novak Djokovic on the other hand has slipped to World No. 3. Medvedev was asked about whether he is concerned about who he would draw against out of Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. Looking at the current situation, he will not play Carlos Alcaraz before the Final match.

In the post-match conference, an interviewer asked whether Daniil Medvedev preferred him being second seeded as compared to third. Medvedev said, “If I would be No. 3, I would definitely play one of Alcaraz (Carlos) or Novak if I am in the semifinal. You definitely have one of them in your draw.” Carlos Alcaraz and Medvedev have only played twice before with both the players winning a match apiece. Their chances are poised well for an interesting battle if both reach the final of Roland Garros.

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Medvedev definitely likes his chances better than being World No. 2 as in that case he would definitely fend off playing Carlos Alcaraz till the final. But he would still have a 50% chance of having Novak Djokovic in his draw, but Medvedev hopes for the opposite. “I guess it’s better to be No. 2 and get the chance. Carlos and I don’t play for sure before the final, and Novak maybe 50% chance he’s not in your draw.”

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Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev have played each other a whopping 14 times before, with Djokovic winning 9 of the 14 matches. The most interesting fact in this equation is that they have met on clay only once and Medvedev pulled a great victory in the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters Quarter-final match.

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Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic rivalry

Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev,
Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev (Image Credit: ATP)

Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic are known to play big. They usually don’t give up even a single point easily. No wonder the two have gone deep in many tournaments and sometimes simultaneously. The two players have played 6 semi-final matches and 3 final matches. Djokovic won 4 of the 6 semi-finals and two of the three finals out of those. All three finals they played were in 2021. Though Djokovic won the Australian Open final to become a champion in Australia, Medvedev exacted revenge by winning the U.S. Open final later that year.

The two also played ATP Paris Masters 1000, which Djokovic won. Both players are more proficient Hard court players but they are both good on clay too. In 2023, Daniil Medvedev handed Djokovic his first defeat of the year at the Dubai Championship. Up until then, Djokovic had not lost a single match in 2023.

The years of title-winning experience Novak Djokovic has on clay courts is a very big advantage for the Serb. Whereas Daniil Medvedev is only getting better each day on clay. To see the two clash in the semi-final would be the dream of this French Open. The indomitable spirit in both players would make the match a delight to watch.

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