As he prepares for his fifth consecutive Nitto ATP Finals look, Daniil Medvedev has a rating to settle. The world No. 3 went 0-3 final season in Turin, however that report tells only a small a part of the story.
One 12 months after profitable two final-set tie-breaks in a runner-up end on the season finale, Medvedev misplaced all three of his 2022 Turin matches in decisive tie-breaks — defeats towards Novak Djokovic, Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas. However as a former champion, the 27-year-old shouldn’t be too involved a few repeat efficiency.
“I really feel positively perhaps a bit bit much less stress, as a result of earlier than I gained [the 2020 title], I misplaced three matches in a row,” he identified. “However the identical time, tennis is such a… let’s name it a cyclic factor. Final 12 months, I misplaced three matches, and three of them had been actually shut within the decisive tie-break, I feel two of them I used to be serving for the match.
“So for positive this 12 months coming there, I wish to attempt to be higher. And that is precisely what occurred a few years in the past, after I managed to win it. So let’s hope it should be the identical story.”
Medvedev used final 12 months’s misfortune as motivation for his offseason, and he rapidly made amends within the early a part of 2023. Throughout a stretch of 5 tournaments from mid-February to early April, he reached 5 finals and gained 4 titles, together with on the ATP Masters 1000 in Miami.
Daniil Medvedev along with his Miami Open trophy in 2023.” />
Medvedev additionally lifted 500-level trophies in Rotterdam and Dubai throughout that interval. He would later add a second ATP Masters 1000 trophy — his first tour-level clay title — in Rome earlier than reaching the US Open closing and advancing to ATP 500 finals in Beijing and Vienna.
“I’ve had an incredible season on many ranges, however the 500s have been fairly superb. I obtained a number of factors and good wins towards nice gamers,” mentioned Medvedev, who earned essentially the most Pepperstone ATP Rankings factors throughout the 13 ATP 500s this season.
Medvedev Tops ATP 500 Bonus Pool For 2023
“I began the 12 months very strongly by profitable the primary two 500s I performed in Rotterdam and Dubai, in order that opened a giant hole on a number of gamers and I’ve managed to complete robust on the finish right here in Vienna,” he added, charting his path within the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin.
Throughout his Vienna run, Medvedev mentioned this was in all probability the perfect season of his profession, although he rued the shortage of a Grand Slam title to match his 2021 US Open crown. A second Nitto ATP Finals title would go a protracted solution to consolidate this as a standout season for the baseliner — however he is aware of he should beat a number of nice champions to turn into the singular champion in Turin.
“You play towards the perfect gamers on the earth,” he mentioned of the season finale. “In order quickly as you go to the third set, and the ending of the third set, it should be robust for each of you, and also you each know the best way to take care of this stress.
“Final 12 months, I used to be not robust sufficient to handle to make it. This 12 months, I will attempt to be stronger.”
Medvedev tops the ATP Tour leaderboard in matches gained this season with a personal-best 64 victories in comparison with simply 16 defeats. However ought to he undergo a setback towards one among his elite foes in Turin, the end result won’t essentially finish his probabilities on the title due to the distinctive round-robin format.
Whereas he won’t strategy the group stage in a different way than some other match — aside from the information that he’s up towards the world’s best from Day 1 — Medvedev is aware of he may benefit from that second likelihood in his again pocket if wanted.
“I feel what it modifications is in the event you lose a match, that is once you get the second likelihood, which in tennis does not occur besides this match. And that is the one time,” he defined.
“However once you go into the match, the perfect feeling is making an attempt to not lose [each] match, attempt to win each match doable and get to the ultimate like this. However I feel we’ve a number of tales the place somebody misplaced the primary match after which gained the entire thing. So that is what makes it this match particular.”