Daniil Medvedev – Press Conference R2

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, today was a really solid performance. How are you feeling at the end of that match?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Honestly, much better than yesterday. I felt like my shots were, I mean, really good. Not much more to say. The plan was to for sure be very solid on my serve. I managed to do it. As soon as is there a rally from baseline where he’s not at the net or have an easy shot, try to win as many points as possible. I think I did win like 95% of them.

So really happy with my level and looking forward.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You’ve played a lot of big servers in your time. Having him hit 230 on his second serve, can you tell me how you see him different to the other big servers.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think they’re all different just because one play with one hand, the other slice more, someone goes to the net more than the others, someone maybe plays a bit better from the baseline or moves better. It tough to say where he is.

As I say, the plan stays the same. Because they serve so well, just by statistics they’re not going to lose their serve that much during the year. In your match, as well.

So you need to be really solid on your serve, try to go to the tiebreak, maybe like this try to put pressure on their serves. That’s kind of what I managed to do today really solid on my serve. Had couple of opportunities on his serve. Even started to already, like, get better, guess better. So happy.

As I say, tough to compare. Big server, that’s for sure (smiling).

Q. I wonder whether his style of play actually feeds into yours or it matches yours.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think in general if we look myself against I think I would remember four guys – Ivo Karlovic, John Isner, Milos Raonic, Reilly Opelka – and as I say everyone is different in their style, all have huge serves, probably the best on tour.

In general I think I managed to win more than lose, but I did lose some tough matches also. But it’s also, as I say, tough to say. There’s going to be another match where maybe I lose on three tiebreaks or something, or maybe I win on three tiebreaks. I’m just happy that today my style managed to be better and I’m happy about it.

Q. Next up is Tallon Griekspoor. I don’t think you played before on tour.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, which is crazy because we’ve both been at least like four years.

Q. What are you expecting?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: We actually practice quite a lot. Same. I see him a lot on TV. He probably sees myself on TV. So we know what to expect.

I actually was very impressed by his level today. Was really like going up during the match. Was a great match to beat a defending champion. Ugo was in great form.

Looking forward. Tough opponent. Hope I can show my best tennis.

Q. About the balls, you’ve spoken about them a lot. Do you have the belief that you can win with these balls? Someone like Stefanos, he’s testing a new racquet, trying something different. In your case, what is your solution to have a good level with these balls?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Tough question. I get stressed, sweating (smiling).

First of all, I do believe… It’s not that I do believe. In 2023 they were already like this and I managed win, what was it, four out of five tournaments. So I can do it.

I need a lot of confidence. I need a lot of mental toughness, which maybe sometimes I didn’t have lately. But I can do it. This I’m sure.

What I always said, this put some disadvantages to my game because I know my strong sides. It kind of keeps my strong sides but make my weak sides worse, the slow balls. Some other guys, it advantages them.

It’s no problem to have it sometimes. I would love it 50/50. Sometimes fast balls, sometimes slow balls. But it’s not the case right now.

I did already try many different things: racquets, strings, whatever. Some worked, but then the other tournament they don’t work. Yeah, not think about it too much.

Yeah, that’s it.

Q. Are you the kind of person where it’s difficult for you to make a change? Are you resistant to change or someone who is open to change?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: More resistant to change, yeah. Definitely more resistant to change. Especially when you touch the top of your game, and I did couple of times, you’re a bit scared to change. At the same time you need to.

But you need to balance it. If you suddenly change everything, that’s not going to work, as well. It’s a step-by-step process.

I do feel like I’m doing it all the time actually throughout my career, changing. Some things I change. I maybe regret it afterwards. But regret it not a bad way, but just like, I shouldn’t have done it, and I will not do it. Some things I continue doing them.

I like to change but I’m very – how you say – resistant to change, as well.

Q. I want to ask you about your box. Today I noticed every time your wife’s picture came up, her expression never changes. Sometimes when you broke him in the first set, she sort of exhaled. It was obvious that she was relieved. Also with Gilles, it’s pretty much cool. I want to know what your relationship with Gilles is. Are you friends? Is he very much a coach?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Friends? Is always a tricky part to say friends because he’s still my coach, show there needs to be some amount of – what’s the word when someone is your boss? There is a word.

Q. Respect. Authority.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: There needs to be this, otherwise you can take anyone as a coach. If you are the boss, you can take anyone as a coach, tell him to feed the balls, whatever. But we’re in a very good relationship.

I think what happens during the matches, they know how I read emotions very well, so they try to show how confident they are. Like this, I get confident. I mean, also yes, sometimes I can tell them something.

By the experience of working with me since 10 years, with my wife we’re probably also like eight years together, they know how to act for me to be the best version of myself on the court. That’s why they’re calm.

I remember when we first started working with Gilles one on one because he was one of the three coaches in the beginning. There was one match, was a tight match. In the third set I finally lost. You could feel the match is going out of my hand.

He was very much like, C’mon, let’s go, push, push. At one moment, I was like, You cannot talk every point. I cannot do it like this.

Now he knows how to work with me. It’s working very well.

I think Olivier has a question.

OLIVIER VAN LINDONK: What happened today? On the court?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I have one thing to say. In Australian Open, I got fined like for 60,000 for the camera, because it was actually not a Go Pro, which I didn’t know. I got fined 60,000, which was a big amount. Well, I can understand. The rules are rules.

But today happened that I don’t think he touched, but we have the video review. If he touched, I win the point, I win the break, huge. I am like, Okay, show it.

Then there is this camera for $60,000 that doesn’t show it. I am like, What is it doing there? And basically when I broke it in Australian Open, in my opinion, it shouldn’t even be there. It’s a net. Don’t put the camera there in the net.

Now I’m asking the question to everyone: What is a 60K camera doing there if he cannot even show if he touched the net or not?

Thank you (smiling). Thanks for the question.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports