"You're going to have a very motivated Daniil Medvedev to prove himself, Russians who missed out on Wimbledon might have a little something extra in the bag" - Leif Shiras on US Open favorites
Daniil Medvedev was one of the many players who could not compete at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships due to the All England Club's ban on Russian on Belarusian players, which came in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The World No. 1 will have a point to prove at the US Open, believes former tennis pro turned journalist Leif Shiras. The 2021 US Open champion is set to make a return to the tour in his most successful phase of the season in terms of past results.
Speaking to Kamau Murray during a podcast episode for Tennis.com, Shiras opined that the top-ranked male player in the world will use the Wimbledon controversy as added motivation at the US Open, making him a favorite to defend his title.
"I think you're going to have a very motivated Daniil Medvedev to prove himself, you know," Shiras said, adding, "I think a lot of the Russians who missed out on Wimbledon might have a little something extra in the bag to bring to their next performance. I think he's got a real good chance and you know, having won the title, he's got the crowd on his head so someone's going to have to knock him off."
Medvedev stunned Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in last year's final at Flushing Meadows to win his maiden Grand Slam title. The Russian dropped just the solitary set (to Botic van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals) throughout the tournament. He also defeated the likes of Richard Gasquet (1st round), Dan Evans (4th round), and Felix Auger-Aliassime (semifinals).
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Shiras, who had a career-best ranking of No. 31 during his playing days, picked reigning Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic as one of the strongest contenders to win the US Open women's singles title.
"The women's side, you know, I always feel someone like Belinda Bencic (has a chance to win). I like how she plays on a fast hard court, can she make an impression and make a breakthrough?" expressed Shiras.
Having said that, he was optimistic about the chances of some of the top American players winning their home Grand Slam, on both the men's and women's sides. He picked Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova, who both had deep runs at Wimbledon, as the top contenders among the Americans.
"I'd like to see that. I like to see Americans doing well and maybe winning a title. So, you know, maybe it's time for one of our young american guys," Shiras said.
Meanwhile, Medvedev has a tough task ahead if he is to hold on to the No. 1 ranking before the start of the 2022 US Open.
Among top players, Daniil Medvedev has the most points to defend in the rest of this season
Daniil Medvedev has 5,200 ranking points to defend in the remaining part of the 2022 season, the most among the Top-40 players currently on the ATP Tour. The 26-year-old's build-up to the US Open begins at the National Bank Open in Toronto, where he is the defending champion.
Last year, the Russian reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters before winning the US Open title. After a stellar run during the American hardcourt swing last season, Medvedev also reached the finals of both the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.
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While he has a tough job ahead of him to retain his No. 1 ranking, Medvedev will fancy his chances of making deep runs at most upcoming tournaments, given his superiority on hard courts.
Earlier this year, the Russian remained unbeaten in the ATP Cup and reached the Australian Open final, where he held a two-set lead before losing to Rafael Nadal. Medvedev has reached four Grand Slam finals in his career to date, all on hard courts.