Medvedev proud despite ‘Six and a half out of 10’ season

Whether things go to plan or don't go to plan, Daniil Medvedev rarely minces his words when it comes to honest self-assessment.

The 28-year-old was in a typically philosophical mood on Thursday night in Turin, where his season ended with a straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner at the Nitto ATP Finals. Despite a group-stage elimination at the prestigious season finale to confirm his first season without a tour-level trophy since 2017, Medvedev identified plenty of positives to balance out his 2024 disappointments.

“Probably I will finish No. 4 in the world, unless Taylor [Fritz] pulls a big upset, which is amazing,” said Medvedev in his post-match press conference. “[I don’t] need to say it. It's amazing. In the sport that is that demanding, with so many players, I want to be No. 1 in the world, but I didn't play well enough this year, by far, to be No. 1 in the world. Jannik is playing much better. He proved it many times.

“But I'm No. 4 in the big tennis world. I'm super proud about that because I struggled throughout the whole year. Every practice, every match was a struggle for me. A lot of matches. Before I would feel I had the edge on the opponent and win it easy. Now I needed to win three sets, tie-breaks, breaks in the end of the set, et cetera.

“I would [rate my season] somewhere around six and a half out of 10, which means a lot of work to do to be better, but still a lot of good memories also. I'm looking forward for next season already."

Aside from when he put together a three-game streak in the second set of his Ilie Nastase Group match against Sinner in Turin, Medvedev struggled to assert himself against the No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Again, the 20-time tour-level champion was happy to put his difficulties against the Italian into perspective.

“Jannik plays good. He's in full confidence right now,” reflected Medvedev. “I watched his practice before the match. He barely misses a shot and he hits strong. Many times, a lot of players that don't miss a lot, at least they don't hit strong. He can hit strong, very strong, probably one of maybe top three, four, five hitters on Tour, and doesn't miss.

“It is tough to play him. He puts you under pressure. You have to deal with it. In a way I didn't deal with it well enough. I missed some shots in some important moments. He won the match. Basically, kind of easy as that.”

Thursday’s defeat in Turin was Medvedev’s fifth in six meetings this year with Sinner, who now leads the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series 8-7. The Italian has prevailed in one final (at the Australian Open), one semi-final (Miami) and two quarter-finals (at the US Open and in Shanghai), making him a major culprit when it comes to explaining Medvedev’s trophyless 2024.

“Look, he's barely losing this year,” said Medvedev of Sinner. “If you want to win a title, you will face him at one moment. It's not easy to beat him. A lot of people try. A lot of people fail. There is mostly one guy who does it a little bit more times than the others, and it's Carlos [Alcaraz]. He's a very, very strong opponent.

“He's maybe one of the best players I have faced. I faced the Big Four a little bit when they were a little bit older, and maybe [their] speed was not the same. I'm going to try to work in pre-season. Maybe at one point he loses his confidence, starts to miss some balls. Otherwise, everyone, not only me, is in for very, very tough years ahead of us because he's very young.”

Renowned for his defensive skills and refusal to lie down in extended rallies, Medvedev has never been shy of hard graft. The former World No. 1 is ready to get back to work in the offseason as he seeks greater success against his closest rivals on Tour.

“In the preparation, for sure we're going to try to I think really build something a little bit new,” said Medvedev. “I see right now that it's not good enough, especially against guys like Jannik and Carlos. I'm not sure I will be able to become better, but I will try. I will try to become better in some parts.

“I feel like if we talk purely tactic, I feel like I played fine. It's just execution. You need to not miss, go, go, go for it. I didn't manage to do it. That's what we're going to work a lot in pre-season, to build a little bit better version of myself, which is not easy when you're 28 years old.

“About titles... I'm not that concerned. As I say, every tournament is tough to win… Of course, I want to win Masters and Grand Slams more than other tournaments. But maybe go to another tournament and win it. You never know. In general, I had some very good runs and some very bad tournaments, so it's okay for me.”

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