"Djokovic getting Djokovic'd" - Tennis fans in awe of Daniil Medvedev after he ends World No. 1's 20-match winning streak in Dubai
Daniil Medvedev enthralled his fans by producing one of his biggest wins of 2023 on Friday, knocking out Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Medvedev is yet to drop a set in the ATP 500 tournament and is just one match away from winning his third singles trophy of the year. In what was their 14th career meeting, the Russian prevailed over Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 in just over 90 minutes.
Several tennis fans shared their opinions in the aftermath of the contest, with many in awe of Medvedev for ending Djokovic's 20-match unbeaten streak. Djokovic last lost a match in November - the Paris Masters final against Holger Rune. Since then, the Serb has won the 2022 ATP Finals as well as the 2023 Adelaide International 1 and the 2023 Australian Open.
One Twitter user remarked that Medvedev is back to being "the best player in the world."
"Medvedev back to doing that thing where he’s the best player in the world," they wrote.
Medvedev back to doing that thing where he’s the best player in the world twitter.com/josemorgado/st…
Another fan opined that Medvedev is in the same league as the 'Big-3' when he is playing at his best.
"At his best, Medvedev reaches big 3 levels," they stated.
At his best, Medvedev reaches big 3 levels twitter.com/josemorgado/st…
One fan, meanwhile, declared that the 2021 version of Daniil Medvedev is back. In 2021 the Russian won four ATP singles titles, including his maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open.
"Looks like 2021 level Medvedev is well and fully back," they wrote.
Looks like 2021 level Medvedev is well and fully back twitter.com/josemorgado/st…
Some fans even stated that Medvedev gave Djokovic a taste of his own medicine, and that he is one of the few players on tour capable of doing that.
"Medvedev is the only active player who can give Djokovic an idea of what it's like to face himself. Djokovic getting Djokovic'd. And impatient," one fan wrote.
Medvedev is the only active player who can give Djokovic an idea of what it's like to face himself.
Djokovic getting Djokovic'd. And impatient.
Below are a few more fan reactions:
What I find so interesting about the Djokovic-Medvedev matchup is that Djokovic can’t out rally or outlast Medvedev from the baseline. He has to adjust (S+V Paris 2021, drop shots Astana 2022), but even then it has to be perfectly executed and isn’t always reliable.
He's still the only one who can challenge Djokovic twitter.com/josemorgado/st…
Very, very good performance by Daniil twitter.com/josemorgado/st…
🏾 twitter.com/josemorgado/st…
A FLAWLESS PERFORMANCE BY MEDDY🙌🏾 twitter.com/josemorgado/st…
“When you play against Novak, you just have to play your best" - Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev kicked off his 2023 season at the Adelaide International 1, where he lost to the flawless Novak Djokovic in the semis. After faling early at the Australian Open but then bouncing back to win two consecutive titles, Medvedev earned his revenge in Dubai by putting an end to Djokovic's unbeaten run.
Speaking after the match, the Russian heaped praise on his Serbian counterpart, saying that it was nearly impossible to beat him without playing your best tennis.
“When you play against Novak you just have to play your best,” Daniil Medvedev said. “Kind of hope he doesn’t play his best on the day because when he plays his best, well he has 22 Grand Slams, so even if you play your best, it is going to be tough, not sure you win."
Now bidding to win his third consecutive title, Medvedev will lock horns with compatriot Andrey Rublev in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday.