"When Novak Djokovic started 17 years ago winning Grand Slams, everything was different, he was still winning" - Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev crashed out in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Canadian Open on Friday, falling to Alex de Minaur 7-6(7), 7-5.
The Russian was not a big fan of how the balls behaved in Toronoto all week, lamenting that they were too slow. However, at his post-match press conference, he refused to put the blame entirely on them for his loss against the Australian.
While Medvedev admitted that he loves to play with faster balls, he put the onus on himself to adapt to conditions. He pointed to the exemplary Novak Djokovic as an example, emphasizing how the 23-time Grand Slam champion was winning Slams as he is now even when things were very different years ago.
For the uninitiated, Djokovic won his maiden Grand Slam in 2008 at the Australian Open. Fifteen years later, his latest and 23rd Major came at the French Open earlier this year, making him the first man in tennis history to reach that number.
"I would love all the balls to be fast, but I'm definitely not saying this should be the case. So you have to adapt to conditions. You know, we have guys like Novak. I'm sure that when he started 17 years ago winning Grand Slams, everything was different. The courts, the balls. he was still winning," Daniil Medvedev said.
"So I just have to adapt. Again, as I say, I like faster balls. But if they go slower, I have to adapt and try to win with it," he added.
Daniil Medvedev made it clear that he lost against De Minaur on the night only because he did not push his opponent hard enough and that it had nothing to do with the balls used at the Canadian Open.
"As I say, against someone like Alex, it felt not easy today. But maybe it was also me who was just not at my best, and I didn't do enough with the ball.
"But the general feeling was, like, then it was so tough to push it through the air so that Alex is in trouble. Or maybe he just played very good and that was the feeling, and that's why I lost," Daniil Medvedev said.
"To win a Grand Slam, you need to play your best in two weeks, and that's sometimes not easy" - Daniil Medvedev
Daniil Medvedev, who won his maiden Grand Slam at the 2021 US Open, was also asked why he has not been able to repeat that achievement since. Medvedev has had just one more Major final to his name since that run at Flushing Meadows, falling to Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open.
Medvedev responded that Slams require a player to play their best for two weeks, something not easy even to the best of players. The former World No. 1 feels that the closest he has come to holding everything together for two weeks since the 2021 US Open was this year's Wimbledon, where he lost in the semifinals to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz.
On the night, he admitted that Alcaraz was the better player and deserved to win, while he hopes to do better in that regard in the coming Slams.
"I think, you know, to win a Grand Slam, you need to play your best, you need to play your best in two weeks, and that's sometimes not easy. And you're going to play some opponents that maybe going to play well this day. So in general, I didn't manage to do it, to play my best level in two weeks. And probably Wimbledon was the closest one and that's why I was in semis," Daniil Medvedev said.
"And Carlos played well. But semi, I feel, I could have played just a little bit better, to bring a little bit more fight to all the sets, and I didn't manage to do it. So I just need to do better. That's the only way," he added.
Following his Canadian Open exit, Daniil Medvedev will be in action at the Cincinnati Open next week.