"I got nothing to lose" - American Brandon Nakashima prepares to face heavy-favorite Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells 2023 R2
Rising American talent Brandon Nakashima is focusing on “having fun” and playing his best tennis against Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the ongoing 2023 Indian Wells Masters.
Nakashima defeated compatriot John Isner 7-6(7), 6-3 in the opening round on Wednesday (March 8). He will now take on fifth seed Medvedev for a place in the last 32 on Friday.
In an interview with Tennis Channel, Nakashima was questioned about his strategy for facing Medvedev. While acknowledging that it will be a "tough match," he stated that he has "nothing to lose" and will just try to give his best.
"Yeah I mean look it’s gonna be a tough match for sure. You know he’s been at the top of the game for so long now. I've always loved watching him play on TV so I’m super excited about it. You know I got nothing to lose going into that match so I’m just going to try to have fun, play my game out there and give my best effort," Nakashima said.
Meanwhile, Medvedev has bounced back from an early exit at the 2023 Australian Open in emphatic fashion. Since his defeat to Sebastian Korda in the third round in Melbourne, the Russian has won 14 consecutive matches to capture the Rotterdam Open, Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Daniil Medvedev opens up about life on tour as a father and traveling with his daughter Alisa
World No. 6 Daniil Medvedev defeated compatriot Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-2 in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships to win the 18th title of his career.
In his post-match interview, Medvedev shared his personal experience of adapting to life on tour as a new parent. The Russian tennis star welcomed his first child, Alisa, with his wife Daria in October last year.
Daniil Medvedev also shared a lighthearted moment, joking that his daughter is a great sleeper, which allows him and his wife to rest well at night. Without this, the former World No. 1 admitted that traveling with his family would have been much more difficult.
"First of all our baby is really, really calm, so she sleeps a lot. She sleeps like an adult, so we can sleep well. If she would be not like this, I don't think it would be possible to travel with her. So, yeah, she's such a sweet kid, so it didn't change much," Medvedev said.
The Russian also expressed his delight at having his daughter accompany him on tour and considers her presence a good-luck charm.