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Medvedev finished the year perfectly after lifting the trophy ATP Finals 2020by bowing Dominic Thiem4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 at The O2 Arena, London, Sunday (22/11/2020) evening local time or Monday (23/11/2020) in the morning WIB. The 24-year-old finished an incredible week to earn the biggest title of his career to date. (Also read: Bend Thiem, Medvedev Wins ATP Finals).
His win over third place Thiem, following a semi-final victory over world number two Rafael Nadal and a win over world number one Novak Djokovicin the group stage. He became the fourth player ever to beat a top three ranked tennis player in a singles event.
That success also means Medvedev is considered the next generation most likely to win a Grand Slam in the 2021 season.Also read: Nadal waiting for certainty in the 2021 Australian Open)
With Roger Federer now 39 and fellow 20-time Grand Slam champion Nadal, 34, and 17-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic, 33, their intense career-long competition has limited time to run.
The hope, Medvedev, champion of the US Open 2020 Thiem, 27 years old, and young tennis players like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Denis Shapovalov, also provided the main competition at the elite level. (Also read: History, Indonesian Young Tennis Players Win Two Titles in Singapore).
“Hopefully,” Medevedev told reporters when asked if his rivalry with Thiem (meeting record, still Thiem’s 3-2 win) could develop into anything special.
Thiem said “exciting times” were ahead for the men’s match and Medvedev said the talented young players would continue to encourage each other.
“Hopefully we can stay there for a long time, maybe say, to push the other generations back,” he said. “Top three, they might go through two, three generations without lowering their level, which isn’t easy.”
“But what is definitely good from us, from Dominic, from me, when we talk about this tournament, we managed to beat Rafa and Novak, which is an extraordinary achievement.”
Medvedev ended the year with a 10 straight win and with victories against Djokovic, Nadal and Thiem in London, he said he would head into the new season with confidence.
“To beat Dominic the way he played today and managed to beat him is probably my best win of my life.”
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