Everyone knows that red clay is not Daniil Medvedev's best surface, indeed his 'relationship' with this surface has almost always been bad. The Russian ace has repeatedly repeated that his game is not effective on these courts and that his opponents have many ways to put him in trouble, even players very far from him in the ATP rankings.
However, it should not be forgotten that the former world number 1 won his last title on clay almost two years ago. The champion from Moscow - in fact - has not lifted a trophy since the 2023 edition of the Rome Masters 1000 and is going through the most delicate period of his entire career (at least since he became a top player).
The 2021 US Open champion didn't shine even in the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and Miami theoretically very suited to his game and mentioned a minor injury to justify his untimely elimination in Florida.
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Medvedev jokes
Daniil is aware that it will be very tough for him to achieve prestigious results in this segment of the season, but the fact that he has less pressure on his shoulders could help him surprise everyone in one of the tournaments leading up to Roland Garros.
During an interview in Monte Carlo, the Russian was asked what he expects from this clay court season: "It's easy, I'll win the Masters 1000 on red clay and then triumph at Roland Garros as icing on the cake. Joking aside, I have no idea what's going to happen in the next couple of months.
I don't like to make predictions and I know that this surface is not my favorite, although I won my last title in Rome in 2023. I think Carlos Alcaraz will be the favorite in Madrid, while Jannik Sinner will be back in action in Rome. Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also very dangerous on these courts."
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Medvedev needs all his mental strength right now to overcome the crisis that has been plaguing him for some time.
