"Is it better to be World No. 1 for 1 week in your life or to never touch it? I think it's better to at least touch it" - Daniil Medvedev on losing top spot to Novak Djokovic
Having soared to the top of the ATP rankings three weeks ago, Daniil Medvedev will be returning to World No. 2 when the rankings are updated on Monday. The Russian needed to reach at least the quarterfinals at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters to retain the No. 1 position ahead of Novak Djokovic, but succumbed to a shock defeat against Gael Monfils in the third round on Monday.
Speaking at his press conference after the match, the 26-year-old did not sound too upset about the prospect of losing his hold on the spot. Instead, the Russian was oddly philosophical about the entire ordeal. Medvedev remarked that it was better to be the World No. 1 for a short period of time than never getting a taste of it at all.
"Of course, I want to be [World No. 1] for a long time, winning many Slams and be there as many weeks as possible. You never know how your career's going to turn," Daniil Medvedev said. "So, you know, is it better to be No. 1 for let's say one week in your life or never touch it? I think it's still better to at least touch it."
Gael Monfils knocks out the World No.1 Daniil Medvedev in 3 sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in third round of Indian Wells 💪
This is second time that Gael Monfils has beaten a World No.1 ranked player. Last one was Rafael Nadal in 2009 🔥
#GaelMonfils #DaniilMedvedev #Tennis #IndianWells https://t.co/rMfwJNEimk
While he admitted that he would love to be at the top for a longer period of time and win more Grand Slams, Daniil Medvedev did not think how long someone stayed at No. 1 mattered too much in the grand scheme of things.
Medvedev, asked after loss about his short stint as No. 1:
'You never know how your career is gonna turn <> Is it better to be No. 1 for one week in your life or never touch it? I think it's still better to touch it. To have this achievement in your career is still a good thing.'
The World No. 1 explained his point by referring to players like Pat Rafter and Carlos Moya. Medvedev noted that most fans, including himself, had no idea how long they were at the top but still referred to them as former World No. 1s to this day. For reference, Rafter occupied the top spot for only two weeks in his career while Moya was ranked No. 1 for just one week.
"I think to have this achievement in your career is definitely still a good thing, because when we talk about guys like [Pat] Rafter and [Carlos] Moya, we still talk about them as ex No. 1," Medvedev said. "Actually, I didn't know how many weeks they were there, so if you don't tell me, I would say [they were there for] maybe a year or something. So, yeah."
Daniil Medvedev has to reach the quarter-finals of Indian Wells to keep his No.1 ranking.
He spoke about the volatile nature of tennis during his presser yesterday: https://t.co/FnEta82gnF
The World No. 1 declared that his primary focus was on winning as many tournaments as possible and giving his best every time he touched a tennis racquet.
"So I'm going to try my best, on the practice courts, on the matches, Grand Slams, Masters Series, to win as many tournaments and gain as many points and try to be World No. 1 for a long time," Daniil Medvedev said. "If it doesn't happen again, I think it's the same. The top 100, the top 10, some people stay there for a long time, some people do not."
"That's where the Big 3 are just unreal because no matter what the conditions, they were always winning tournaments" - Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev has a chance to regain the World No. 1 ranking at the upcoming Miami Masters, with Novak Djokovic already having announced his withdrawal from the tournament. The Russian will need to reach the semifinals of the tournament.
Next week, Novak Djokovic will be back as ATP World No.1.
Daniil Medvedev can get the top spot back before the clay if he reaches the semi-finals in Miami, where conditions suit him better than in Indian Wells.
Daniil Medvedev remarked that he is incredibly tough to beat when he plays at his very best. However, he felt that having to play at a high level day-in-day-out was what made tennis such a difficult sport.
"Now I know I'm going to lose it, so I have Miami to try and get it back," Medvedev said. "I always say that when I play my best tennis, it's really tough to beat me. But that's the toughest part of tennis -- to reproduce it time after time."
That's where the 26-year-old felt the Big 3 - Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic - stood out from everyone else. Medvedev pointed out how they kept on winning matches irrespective of the conditions and playing surfaces, something that he hoped to emulate in the coming years.
"That's where the big three are just unreal because no matter what the conditions, no matter which surface, they were always winning tournaments a lot of the time or winning some crazy matches," Daniil Medvedev said. "Yeah, I'm going to need to try to do better."