"I'm the No. 1 seed so anything but the final won't be a good result for me" - Daniil Medvedev ahead of Toronto campaign
Daniil Medvedev is the top seed at this year's National Bank Open in Toronto. Ahead of his campaign in the Canadian city, Medvedev touched upon his early exit at Wimbledon, and also offered his two cents on the polarizing topic of on-court coaching on the ATP Tour.
The Russian was one of the favorites to challenge Novak Djokovic for the top honor at Wimbledon. Medvedev made a strong start to his campaign at the All England Club but came unstuck in the fourth round, where he squandered a two-sets-to-one lead to lose to Hubert Hurkacz.
In that context, Medvedev said he was pleased with the level he showcased at Wimbledon, but admitted he was disappointed with the end result.
"I played quite good tennis there (Wimbledon), I could've won against Hurkacz, lost in five sets," Medvedev said. "But it's just that... you're top 10, especially top 4 in the world. If you lose in the first round of a Slam it's not a good result. If you played good, you felt good, it's not a good result anyhow."
Medvedev used the same analogy for his upcoming campaign at the 2021 National Bank Open, claiming that anything less than the final would be a sub-par result for him.
The Russian pointed out that even top players are susceptible to early losses, but at the same time suggested that the "Big 3" of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were exceptions to the rule.
"Same here, I'm No. 1 seed so anything except the final won't be a good result for me. At the same time, everybody can beat everybody. Tennis is an unpredictable sport unless we're talking about the Big 3, in their prime especially," Medvedev said.
Medvedev then weighed in on the on-court coaching debate, which was started by Stefanos Tsitsipas last month. The Greek had urged tennis authorities to take a "big step forward" by embracing on-court coaching.
Tsitispas' comments evoked a mixed response from the tennis community. While certain sections claimed higher-ranked players would benefit if on-court coaching was permitted, others pointed out that it would not make much of a difference
Medvedev said he had no opinion on the matter, but did suggest that increasing the coaches' involvement could be a game-changer for tennis.
"I'm not against coaching, but at the same time, I don't think it's a must. There are people who decide the rules, which are not players. I think that almost in every other sport in the world, coaching is allowed," he said.
"To be honest, I don't see a problem with coaching, we work with our coaches every day even if it can change the match at one moment. Even if it changes the match, well that's why you pay your coach. I'm opinion-less on this one actually," Medvedev added.
"It's always better to play in front of fans, even for someone like me" - Daniil Medvedev
The National Bank Open is set to welcome fans for the duration of the competition this week. Daniil Medvedev, for one, is delighted at the prospect of competing in front of packed stands in Toronto.
"It's always better to play in front of fans, even with someone like me. I can have a high temper on the court, so I can sometimes be angry with the fans. But I think, I start to feel that's what people like in me. I never fake, if I'm angry with someone in the crowd I won't fake it and same with if I'm happy. I think I have usually good interactions with the crowd," Medvedev said.