Daniil Medvedev knows he needs something new this season to return to playing at the highest level. The former world No. 1 has not been brilliant for most of 2024, which was his toughest year since becoming a top player and in which he failed to win a single title.
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After losing the final at the Australian Open, the Russian ace lost his certainties and suffered several shocking losses in the rest of the year. In particular, the 2021 US Open champion often seemed powerless against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The two new leaders of the men's tour are well aware of Daniil's weaknesses and have almost always defeated him in the most prestigious matches, with the exception of Jannik's defeat against Medvedev in the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships.
The player from Moscow has been working hard during the pre-season together with his coaches Gilles Cervara and Gilles Simon and hopes to start the new season well. The Australian Open surface suits Daniil's game very well, as he reached the final at Melbourne Park in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
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Just before flying to Australia, Medvedev witnessed the birth of his second child and expressed all his happiness on social media.
Medvedev praises Djokovic
During the traditional press-conference before the start of the Happy Slam, the former world number 1 wanted to praise Novak Djokovic. The Russian has always had an excellent relationship with the Serbian legend, who defeated him in the final of the 2021 edition.
"Personally I like more Novak's style. When I was young, I was always admiring it, Novak on the court, can be tricky. Even like, yeah, be tough to his box. Not to the opponent, but you can see he can get frustrated by the opponent playing well or something. But once the match finishes, he tells himself, It's done, the battle is done the Russian said.
He also added: Nole always congratulates his opponent, no whether he won or lost. Always smiling. I like this. At the same time, I can understand some people when they lose, you're frustrated, you don't want to smile at your opponent that just beat you. I'm okay with both but I prefer warm handshakes.
