Daniil Medvedev says he would "start crying" if he "wanted something" as a child, claims he will use his win over Djokovic at the US Open as a morale booster if he ever has "doubts" in his career
During a recent interview with the New York Times, Daniil Medvedev revealed that he would often throw a fair few temper tantrums as a child due to his demanding nature. Medvedev believes that the trait is still a part of him when it comes to tennis, given his hunger to win at all costs. Daniil Medvedev is regarded as a cut above the rest of the NextGen. The Russian does not care about scorelines or aesthetic groundstrokes. All Medvedev looks to do is put the ball back in the court in any manner possible.
Medvedev's game is widely regarded as unorthodox, with some fans often pointing to its unappealing nature. But the 25-year-old excels at one thing above all else -- winning. Medvedev wins most of his matches on hardcourts, where many fans consider him to be the best player on tour alongside Djokovic.
While speaking to Cindy Shmerler of the New York Times, Medvedev explained how his demanding nature was a part of him since childhood, revealing that he would start crying if he wanted something.
“I remember when I was 4 years old, I was a little bit ‘wanty,’” Medvedev said with a chuckle. “Like if I wanted something I could start crying. I think that’s the part that could sometimes show on the tennis court, especially when I was younger, because the thing is, what do you want on the tennis court? You want to win.”
Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic trained with each other for a couple of hours ahead of the Paris Masters. After their joint session, the two players spent a few minutes chatting with each other.
Just Novak things...
@DaniilMedwed couldn't believe @DjokerNole made that one 😮 https://t.co/e3fUAVFFWG
However, Medvedev revealed that they did not speak about the US Open final, highlighting how players on the losing side will generally not want to talk about such results.
The Russian had thumped Djokovic in the US Open final, making him lose out on becoming the first man since Rod Laver (1969) to win the calendar Slam.
“It’s normal, no matter if you lose or win you don’t speak about these matches because there’s going to be one loser who’s not going to want to speak about it,” said Medvedev. “And when I win I also don’t want to say, ‘Hey, remember …’”
Medvedev stressed that he prefers to use his past success as a means to motivate himself for the future, citing his win over Djokovic at the US Open as one of the examples.
“I don’t look back too much in my life,” the Russian said. “I like to think about the present and the future more than the past, even if the past is good. I use it more as confidence, to say, ‘Wow, I managed to win, to beat Novak in the final of a slam.’ I’m going to use it more if I have doubt in my career, which can happen."
“The most important thing is that I’m trying to be myself on the court" -- Daniil Medvedev
During the interaction, Daniil Medvedev asserted that he has no qualms about how he is perceived by his peers and fans alike. Medvedev believes that it is "important" for him to be himself on court and try his best to win.
“The most important thing is that I’m trying to be myself on the court,” Daniil Medvedev said. “I’m just trying to play good tennis and win matches. Then I let other people decide what they think.”
Having a good time so far at the Finals. @atptour https://t.co/5hpBcS98m8