“Play my best,” Daniil Medvedev puts on a brave face despite not being able to play Wimbledon and is relieved after US Open decided to allow Russian players to compete

“Play my best,” Daniil Medvedev puts on a brave face despite not being able to play Wimbledon and is relieved after US Open decided to allow Russian players to compete

Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev pipped Novak Djokovic to become the World No.1 once again this week after Djokovic bowed out of the quarterfinals of the French Open and couldn’t defend his 2000 points from last year’s win. Medvedev is currently playing at Halle and is through to the second round. Last week, he finished runner-up at the Libema Open, and throughout the grass-court season, he doesn’t have many points to defend.

Wimbledon has already banned Russian players from playing this year’s Championships but to Medvedev’s advantage, the ATP has also scrapped the ranking points and hasn’t frozen last year’s points either. Medvedev doesn’t have many points to defend but Djokovic, his nemesis for the top spot will lose 2000 points which will perfectly play in Medvedev’s hands.

But again, Medvedev, who is one of the best players in the world on grass, will not be able to fight for the prestigious Wimbledon title this year. The Russian had earlier expressed his disappointment in the ruling but accepted the fact that it is his fate. He said that he has to follow the rules and whenever he gets an opportunity, he’ll try to play his best. “I always say that I have to follow the rules,” Medvedev told the press at Halle. “And where I can play, I’m gonna play, I’m going to try to play my best.”

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Daniil Medvedev allowed to defend his US Open title

Daniil Medvedev with the US Open 2021 Trophy
Daniil Medvedev with the US Open 2021 Trophy

The US Open decided to allow Russian and Belarussian players to compete this year, unlike Wimbledon. Medvedev expresses his happiness regarding the matter and said that it’d have been very disappointing if he wasn’t allowed as he has some great memories at Flushing Meadows.

“I’m happy that I will be able to defend,” he said. “It would be really disappointing if I would not because that’s some great memories and always in US Open, it’s an amazing tournament—probably the more special one for me.”

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