The Russian tennis player spoke about many topics in the press conference on the eve of the Australian Open
Daniil Medvedev, like Jannik Sinner, also opted for a completely different program to the usual one, arriving at the 2024 Australian Open without having played any official ATP tournament before the first Major of the season.
The Russian did not participate in any official events to spend more time with his family and prepare better physically for the big event in Melbourne. The former ATP No.1 lost in the third round in three sets against Sebastian Korda last year, temporarily dropping out of the top 10.
Medvedev also lashes out against Netflix: “It exaggerates things!”
“I arrived in Melbourne on the night of January 6th. We thought there was enough time to prepare. I had a great off-season and played an exhibition event which I managed to win. This year I decided to try to do things differently, we’ll see how it goes. I think everything is a risk, especially when you try it for the first time. I don’t think I’ve ever participated in the Australian Open, the first Slam of the year, without playing a preparation tournament. There is always risk. I could have turned 35 without ever spending a New Year’s Eve at home, so I decided to try to make a change,” explained the Russian.
“Last year I think I fell out of the top 10 after the Australian Open and I remember having a bad feeling after the loss. However, I understood that the future is bright regardless of what happens. This year I hope I can do better and play good tennis,” said Medvedev at the press conference.
The Russian then wanted to express his harsh opinion on some of the background that the Netflix TV series Break Point showed in the last season. Medvedev is aware that he still needs to find the right balance in his relationship with the crowd, especially in moments of greatest tension, but I believe that the story elaborated by Netflix has only exaggerated the situation.
“I didn’t watch the episode. I saw something around social media. I won’t watch it because I would probably feel even more frustrated. I don’t have much to say, Netflix is like that: it exaggerates things.
The people around me know how I behave off the pitch or on the pitch, where it can be complicated to manage some moments. I feel like I have a good relationship with most of the people who populate the Tour. Have they painted me as bad? That’s what I’m saying.
Sometimes I feel like it’s not right. Life isn’t fair. Sometimes I deserve it, other times less. I want to change and mature. I feel like I’ve made an important step forward in the last few months. I hope people can notice it when I’m on the court.
There are tournaments where the adrenaline is at its highest. In those moments it is difficult to control emotions. I know that the Australian Open is not the Slam in which I have the best relationship with the public and even if there will be some controversial episodes, I want to try to behave naturally and limit some attitudes. I hope to show a new Medvedev this year in Australia, but it’s too early to tell. We’ll see at the end of the season!”