Daniil Medvedev jokes that he'd like to change the result of the 2019 US Open final against Rafael Nadal
Daniil Medvedev put in the best performance of his career in the 2021 US Open final last week, outclassing Novak Djokovic to win his maiden Major title. But two years ago Medvedev had a considerably less pleasant time at this very stage of the tournament, losing to Rafael Nadal in five sets.
The Russian struggled for quite a while to decode Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem, all of whom beat him at the Slams in 2019-20. But Medvedev has been playing with newfound assertiveness this year, and with his title run at Flushing Meadows he has solidified his place at the head of the table.
That said, the 25-year-old might well wonder where he would've been if he had not stumbled in his previous two finals. Although no player likes to dwell on the past, Medvedev could've been a multiple Slam titlist by now had he won either the 2019 US Open final or the 2021 Australian Open final.
So when ATP's Twitter handle asked the fans which result from tennis history they would like to change, Daniil Medvedev was quick to jump in.
The Russian replied to the tweet with a picture from the US Open 2019 trophy presentation, which showed him standing next to a victorious Rafael Nadal. The reply was likely a joke, but it left nobody in any doubt which historical result Daniil Medvedev would want to change and why.
@TennisTV https://t.co/JxZ2xJJR4I
Daniil Medvedev ran Rafael Nadal close in the 2019 US Open final
Rafael Nadal won his fourth US Open title and 19th Slam title overall at Flushing Meadows in 2019 with a five-set win over Daniil Medvedev. The match was as close as it could get, and with a bit of luck here and there, the outcome could well have been different.
Nadal got off to an explosive start as he won the first two sets comfortably. He then looked on course to win the match in straight sets as he broke for a 3-2 lead in the third set.
Daniil Medvedev refused to go away though, breaking Rafael Nadal's serve right back by producing some stunning tennis under pressure. The Russian subsequently tied the match at two sets all but was outlasted in the deciding set; Nadal eventually came through with a 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 win.
Medvedev got massive cheers from the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd for the way he hung with the Spaniard for nearly five hours. And while he didn't win a Slam for another two years, that first experience likely helped the 25-year-old get off to a quicker start in the 2021 final against Novak Djokovic.
There was a wide variety of answers to ATP's hypothetical question apart from Daniil Medvedev's reply. A Roger Federer fan named "Blank" mulled over the 2009 US Open final against Juan Martin del Potro, claiming the Swiss could've likely set himself up for a non-Calendar Grand Slam if he had won that match.
@TennisTV USO 2009 men's final.
Federer would have won 4 in a row. That match still stings because I feel like he had it in him to win that match.
Another fan named "Kyle" replied that Andy Roddick's loss to Roger Federer during the Wimbledon 2009 final was heartbreaking to watch.
@TennisTV Roddick vs Federer
2009 Wimbledon Final
Andy had that match. It was heart breaking to watch. And I love Roger. But Andy doesn’t get the respect he deserves.
There were, of course, quite a few who named the 2019 Wimbledon final, which Roger Federer lost to Novak Djokovic despite having held two match points. There were also a few mentions of the 2017 Australian Open final, where Rafael Nadal went down to the Swiss after having gone a break up in the decider.