"Playing against Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic is a big difference compared to other opponents in a final" - Daniil Medvedev's coach
Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara has shared his thoughts on the formidable threat of coming up against Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam final, as opposed to other opponents.
Medvedev put together an exceptional 2023 season, securing a tour-leading 66 match wins. He clinched five titles during the year, including two ATP Masters 1000 titles. Furthermore, the Russian reached his maiden Wimbledon Championships semifinal and contested his fifth Grand Slam final at the US Open, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic.
Incidentally, the World No. 3 has faced either Djokovic or Rafael Nadal in all five of his Major finals. He lost to Nadal at the 2019 US Open and 2022 Australian Open, while the Serb bested him at the 2021 Australian Open and this year's New York Major. Medvedev won his solitary Grand Slam title by defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the 2021 US Open final.
When asked whether Daniil Medvedev deserved to have won more Grand Slam titles, his coach Gilles Cervara highlighted the challenge of the Russian facing either Nadal or Djokovic in every Grand Slam final.
"That is a difficult question. Of course I would like him to win more. The only thing I can say is that he played in all of his finals against Nadal and Djokovic. It is a big difference compared to other theoretical opponents in a final," he told Championat (translated from Russian).
In light of that, Cervara expressed an interest in witnessing the potential outcome of the Russian taking on Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in a Major final.
"I would very much like to see the final of a Grand Slam with Daniil and someone else, for example, Carlos or Jannik. I’m very interested in what the outcome would be in that case," he added.
"With Novak Djokovic, it is not enough to be the best version of yourself" - Daniil Medvedev's coach on Russian's US Open final defeat
In the same interview, Daniil Medvedev's coach Gilles Cervara reflected on the Russian's defeat to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 US Open final. The 36-year-old defeated Medvedev 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-3 to win his record 24th Grand Slam title.
Cervara identified the Russian's loss in the second-set tiebreak as a pivotal moment in the match, stating that it "broke" him.
"The second set was key. Defeat broke Danya, he lost energy, felt that he had lost his chances. From the very beginning of the match until 3:3 in the second set, Daniil’s quality of shots suffered, something was missing. Perhaps there was not enough mental energy for creativity, but after 3:3 everything turned upside down," he said.
Cervara asserted that, despite Medvedev playing "brilliantly," it still wasn't enough to counter the Serb's dominance.
"Medvedev played brilliantly. However, with Novak, at times it is not enough to play brilliantly, it is not enough to be the best version of yourself. With Djokovic you have to be even better than the best version of yourself," he added.
Daniil Medvedev will be back in action at the 2024 Australian Open. Meanwhile, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will take the court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, squaring off against Carlos Alcaraz in a blockbuster exhibition match.