Medvedev: “To identify Nadal I have one word: amazing”

the russian Daniil Medvedevnumber 1 in the ATP ranking, assured this Tuesday that to identify the Spanish Rafael Nadalmaximum winner of Grand Slam tournaments (22), the fair word would be “amazing”. “To identify Rafa I have one word, amazing. He is an amazing fighter, an amazing warrior and an amazing person, with great mental strength,” the 2021 US Open winner, who is in Mexico to play the Los Cabos Open, told EFE.

Last January, the man from Manaco became the first tennis player to win more than 20 major tournaments and he did so by defeating Medvedev in the final of the Australian Open. Referring to that, Daniil explained that of course he wanted to win, but outside of that excitement, he thought it was great that Nadal made his record. “It was a great match; at Roland Garros he increased his Grand Slam titles to 22 and I was happy, as I was with Nole (Novak Djokovic), when he made 21 at Wimbledon”, he asserted.

Although he is the great figure in Los Cabos, Medvedev has behaved like any other player, who even agreed to follow an interview with a television channel when it started to rain and it was the journalist who stopped her out of respect for the champion. Medvedev acknowledged that being number 1 does not prevent him from enjoying tennis like when he was a child, although he does it in a different way because wins and losses arouse feelings.

“Sometimes it is not easy to enjoy; there are good matches, bad matches, but it can be achieved,” he explained. Los Cabos will be for Medvedev the start of the tour prior to defending his US Open title; this week he will attempt his first title of the season in the Mexican tournament and then he will look to perform well in the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters 1,000 to reach the main objective in his best shape.

Comparisons

“It is difficult to compare my sports form today with last year at this point because every year on tour something changes. My body is changing, my tennis too; 2021 was good and I am confident I am starting the best part of my season,” she noted. If he defeats Australian Rinki Hijika, racket 224 in the world, on Wednesday, Daniil will add his 250th victory as a professional. Referring to that, he recognized that the best of all was that of the final against Djokovic last year at the US Open because it gave him his first Slam title.

“It’s a bit obvious; That’s the one I remember the most. There are two other wins that I appreciate a lot, against Rafa, in the London 2020 ATP Finals semi-final, and hours later against Dominic Thiem, in the final. In both matches I was down, in Nadal’s match point against and I played good tennis in the third set”, he said. Medvedev defended the idea of ​​maintaining an attitude of humility on tour and recognizing that there will always be things to improve because, otherwise, a setback will come. “One must resolve to be better every day, to work hard. If you stop, everything will end; I don’t think I have obsessions as a player, but if I have one it’s to train hard”, she concluded.