Daniil Medvedev’s earliest recollections of taking part in grass-court tennis function some all-too-familiar faces.
“My first time on grass was after I performed junior Wimbledon [in 2013],” Medvedev advised ATPTour.com final week. “There was a match beforehand in Roehampton, the place additionally they play qualies for Wimbledon. I really misplaced to Nick Kyrgios [in the second round], and he received the match towards Sascha [Alexander] Zverev within the last.
“They had been actually wonderful at their age. I used to be nowhere shut as a result of they had been very younger once they went on the skilled Tour, into the Prime 100 and began taking part in the very best on the earth. I bear in mind them taking part in the ultimate. I feel I really even watched it, and it was similar to watching two legends, two junior legends, play.”
Medvedev could have taken a little bit longer to affix Kyrgios and Zverev among the many ATP Tour’s elite, however he now owns extra tour-level trophies than each his former junior rivals. The twentieth and most up-to-date of his titles, which moved him away from 19-time champion Zverev, got here on the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome in Might. It was Medvedev’s first ATP Tour crown on clay, heralded by many as a breakthrough for a participant who has by no means been shy about his heavy desire for exhausting courts.
Given he now owns tour-level titles on exhausting (18 of his 20 triumphs have come on the floor), grass (Mallorca, 2021) and clay (this yr’s Rome win), is the World No. 3 any nearer to contemplating himself an ‘all-court’ participant?
“I nonetheless consider probably the most in myself on exhausting courts as a result of that is nonetheless the place my greatest titles are,” stated Medvedev. “One Grand Slam, [five] Masters 1000s. I used to be by no means capable of obtain sort of shut on different surfaces, [but] I do know that I can play properly, lastly, even on clay. Profitable a Masters 1000 [in Rome] was unbelievable. There are some wonderful clay-court gamers that by no means received a Masters, so it is simply unreal.
“I do know that I can play properly on grass. It is simply there’s one thing that I am far more assured about myself on exhausting courts. However at any time when I play, irrespective of the floor, I all the time attempt to win. I all the time attempt to be the very best even when typically it does not work. And that is what I attempt yearly on the clay and grass, even when I like exhausting courts extra.”
Medvedev arrives at Wimbledon with an 8-4 report on the grass-court main. The 27-year-old loved his greatest run at SW19 on his most up-to-date look by reaching the fourth spherical in 2021. For somebody that’s used to competing for the most important prizes within the recreation, that’s one thing he’s eager to enhance.
“For the second, Wimbledon is the Grand Slam the place I’ve my worst consequence, [reaching the] fourth spherical,” stated Medvedev. “Roland Garros is quarter-finals. So I for certain wish to change it. I really feel like I am able to taking part in properly [at Wimbledon], however like all the time there are numerous robust opponents that do not wish to allow you to do that.
“I wish to present my greatest there. [It is] unbelievable to be there each time you come. You step on the grounds, and you realize even if you come within the participant foyer, straightaway you see grass throughout, and completely minimize. You simply really feel, ‘Properly, right here I’m at Wimbledon and it is an awesome feeling’, and I might be comfortable to expertise it this yr.”
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Medvedev will not be the one massive title looking for a primary deep run on the All England Membership. World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth spherical in 2022 and lifted an ATP 500 trophy at The Queen’s Membership final week in simply his third tour-level occasion on grass. Promising indicators for the Spaniard on a floor that Medvedev believes gives a posh problem.
“I really feel like grass is a extremely attention-grabbing floor, as a result of many instances I might be somebody taking part in and in my thoughts, I might be like, ‘This man can play properly on grass usually. Large serve, massive forehand or one thing like this, is aware of the right way to slice’,” stated Medvedev. “And for no matter motive he does not prefer it and he [doesn’t do well on grass].
“Then there may be going to be another person [like Alcaraz], the place you say in your thoughts that whereas his recreation will not be actually fitted to grass — possibly he does not go to the web that always and stuff like this — after which he performs so properly on grass, and he says it himself that it’s his greatest and favorite floor. That is the place it is stunning.”
Alcaraz and Medvedev’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly got here at Wimbledon in 2021. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Pictures.
It was Medvedev who ended Alcaraz’s maiden marketing campaign on grass when he eased to a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 second-round triumph towards the then-18-year-old Spaniard at Wimbledon two years in the past. Alcaraz has since lifted 11 tour-level titles, together with a maiden main on the 2022 US Open, and risen to grow to be the youngest No. 1 within the historical past of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
“For my part, the best way Carlos performs on each floor, he can win possibly 5 Wimbledons, however you by no means know,” stated Medvedev. “It is a robust floor to play on. After we performed [in 2021], he was not the identical participant, so I managed to get the very best of this match. Final yr I feel he improved [on grass] already, performed this four-setter towards [Jannik] Sinner [in the fourth round]. I bear in mind it was an awesome match.
“So I feel his potential is basically excessive on any floor, however grass is a troublesome floor for a lot of gamers. Let’s examine how he handles this activity.”
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