ATP: Does Daniil Medvedev have to reinvent himself?
After his early retirement at the Australian Open 2023, Daniil Medvedev will fly out of the top ten in the ATP world rankings after a long time. Will the Russian make it all the way back to the top?
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jan 26, 2023, 04:20 pm
In late summer 2021, Daniil Medvedev wrote a small chapter in tennis history. Or, depending on your point of view, a large chapter in sports history is prevented. Novak Djokovic could have completed the calendar Grand Slam in the final of the US Open, an achievement that seemed almost unimaginable in modern tennis (Dokovic had already screwed up the Golden Slam in Tokyo a few weeks earlier in Tokyo).
So Medvedev defeated the Serbian grandmaster in three amazingly smooth sets, adding one to his four previously won ATP Masters 1000 titles and that at the ATP Finals 2020. On the one hand, it was foreseeable that Medvedev should reach the top of the ATP world rankings in spring 2022. But of course also due to the fact that Novak Djokovic was not allowed to compete in Australia or at the big tournaments in the USA.
Medvedev with few options
It's been a long time, at least it felt. Because Daniil Medvedev, who almost twelve months ago - to put it a little exaggeratedly - was only one breakball away from Rafael Nadal from the title at the Australian Open, will travel the world in the coming weeks, maybe months, with a double-digit ranking. Sebastian Korda saw off the 26-year-old Russian in the third round of Melbourne, in three sets during which one rarely got the impression Medvedev would be able to turn things around. Just like in the match against Nick Kyrgios at the US Open last year.
The statistics of the game against Korda shows quite well where the dog is buried at Medvedev: He still defends well, and hardly gives any gifts. The record shows 26 "unforced" errors, while Korda had 55. But: The young American scored 50 direct points, Medvedev only 28. If he has to be offensive, then the only thing you can currently rely on is the serve. The first, mind you. After all, Daniil Medvedev got two thirds of the points. After his throw-ins, Medvedev was only able to win 43 percent of the points (which, however, also applied exactly to Korda).
Best chance at the US Open
So does Medvedev have to reinvent himself in rallies, become more offensive? The young father doesn't feel particularly comfortable at the net, he doesn't have the natural volleyball talent that also characterizes someone like Korda. The increased use of stops is not a solution either, they were also too predictable in Australia. But somehow Medvedev will have to improve his game - otherwise it will be difficult with a second major win.
On the other hand: He would have a little time for this project. Because the next Grand Slam event is Roland Garros, with which Medvedev does not like to make friends because of the surface. And whether he will be allowed to play in Wimbledon is still in the stars. Maybe it will really be the US Open again, where Daniil Medvedev will continue to write his own success story.