Novak Djokovic is capable of reaching 400 weeks as World No. 1, says Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev is all set to become the new World No. 2 when the latest ATP rankings are published next week. And Medvedev, who finished as the runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the 2021 Australian Open, will be looking to extend the gap between him and Rafael Nadal by winning the ongoing ATP 250 event in Marseille.
Speaking to the media after his quarterfinal win over Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev was asked to give his thoughts on Novak Djokovic amassing a record 311 weeks as the No. 1 male player in the world. The 25-year-old responded that it was an 'unbelievable achievement', before predicting that Djokovic would reach at least 400 weeks if he continued to play at his current level.
"First of all, it’s an unbelievable achievement," Medvedev said. "For sure I think in the world of tennis we talk about Grand Slams more than anything else. But this is also a small competition, [and] I’m sure he’s really happy about it."
"The way he’s played, he’s definitely capable of catching 400 weeks," the Russian added. "We're going to try to not let him do this."
Daniil Medvedev had the best seat in the house to watch Novak Djokovic's peak level, when the faced each other in the Australian Open final last month. The Serb was on top of the exchanges from the start, as he beat Medvedev in ruthless fashion to clinch his 9th trophy in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic is now within spitting distance of the men's record of 20 Grand Slams, which is jointly held by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal at the moment.
I don't know how Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were able to win so much: Daniil Medvedev
During his post-match press conference on Friday, Daniil Medvedev was also asked about his opinion on the Big 3's dominance in general. The trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have won 14 of the last 15 Grand Slams, and they share a mammoth 58 Majors between them.
Medvedev was effusive in his praise for Djokovic, Nadal and Federer, even suggesting that he would like to take tips from the three after they call it a day.
"They are just different. Their Grand Slam achievements are crazy," Medvedev replied when asked about the Big 3. "I do not know how they were able to win so much. After their retirement I would like to ask them what went through their mind and how they prepare."