Daniil Medvedev claims he "likes grass" but "needs confidence" on the surface, says he traveled to Mallorca to "get more matches"
Daniil Medvedev's quarterfinal run at the 2021 Roland Garros surprised many, considering his poor record in the tournament and on clay in general. The Russian had never won a match at the French Open before and had recorded just one victory on clay leading up to the 2021 edition.
The Russian has not enjoyed too much success on grass either. He has never been beyond the third round at Wimbledon and has a 18-13 win-loss record on the surface. His Wimbledon preparations this year suffered a setback as he was defeated in the first round at Halle by Jan-Lennard Struff.
Asked to address these concerns in a press conference ahead of the ATP 250 event in Mallorca this week, the Russian said he likes playing on grass, but admitted he will need time and match practice to find his best form.
"I like to play on grass, I just need to get some confidence in my game on the surface, because we didn’t play [on it] for two years," Medvedev said. "Two years ago, I was not the same player as I am right now."
With just a two-week gap between the end of the claycourt season and the start of Wimbledon, adapting to a new surface can prove to be a challenge.
The World No. 2, who stands to gain a lot of ranking points over the next three weeks, said he accepted a wildcard at Mallorca to get more match practice ahead of his trip to London.
"It is tough for me to say where I see myself, but I know I can play very good on this surface. I just need to find the right balance," Daniil Medvedev claimed.
"In Halle, I had three days of practice, which was definitely not enough to feel good. I lost my first round against a great player, so it [was] not easy, [and] that is why I decided to come to Mallorca to try and get some more matches."
Novak Djokovic gained confidence in Belgrade and destroyed everyone at RG: Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev's decision to play in Mallorca has raised eyebrows given the fact that the tournament ends a day before Wimbledon kicks off.
The Russian justified his move to play the ATP 250 event by pointing to Novak Djokovic, who won the title in Belgrade the week prior to Roland Garros.
"Everyone said to Novak Djokovic, ‘Why are you going to Belgrade [the week before Roland Garros]?’ But he gained a lot of confidence there," the 25-year-old asserted. "I don’t think he played his best tennis there, but then he came and destroyed everyone at Roland Garros."
Daniil Medvedev believes winning matches will serve as a confidence-booster, which is crucial ahead of a Grand Slam.
"I think sometimes it can be good just to prepare ahead of a Grand Slam and win some matches," the World No. 2 said.