Medvedev launches new attack against the slowness of the balls on the circuit

Mónica Barberán Munera | 27 Feb 2025 | 22.12

Daniil Medvedev at the 2025 Dubai ATP. Photo: Getty

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Daniil Medvedev was knocked out of the Dubai ATP after falling to a great performance by Tallon Griekspoor in the quarterfinals. The Russian ended up wasting up to four match points to see himself once again succumb to a defeat that could hurt a lot considering he was regaining confidence in his tennis since the previous tournament in Doha (where he had to withdraw due to illness). In a press conference, Daniil spoke about his incident with the chair umpire, whom he spoke to after the match to calm the waters. He was also critical, once again, of the slowness of the balls.

- What changed from the second set onwards?

"I think he started playing better at certain moments. In a way, he was lucky with some shots, but well, that's tennis. When I say lucky, it's also because he went for it, so he deserved it. The truth is, I didn't get tense or anything. I played the right shots at the right time and he made it happen today. It's very unfortunate because I feel like this year, I can't remember a match that I shouldn't lose and in the end, I win. These matches happen. But yes, I remember three or four, probably three matches where I could have won and things didn't go well, but it's okay. A year is long and there will be matches that turn in my favor."

- Critical of the ball slowness

"It doesn't matter in broad terms because recovering my level is important. And I believe that's how I will reach the finals, win tournaments, etc. At the same time, I was playing very well and wanted to advance past the quarterfinals. But again, every match is a new story. And in the last game we played, it was ridiculous how slow the balls were. And I don't understand why the ATP circuit doesn't switch from 5 to 7 balls. I don't get it".

- About his incident with the chair umpire

"We talked after the match. You know, what happens on the court... Sometimes I go too far. But again, I'm not going to dwell too much on it. I wasn't happy with one of his decisions. It can happen, but we talked after the match. We calmed the situation, even though there was nothing heated. I respect him a lot. So yeah, maybe I crossed a line a bit. I don't think I said anything too bad, but maybe I went a bit too far. I received a warning and that's it".

- Do you think you shouldn't have played from so far back against a player who used serve and volley to save some match points?

"I don't think it helps because Tallon does it a lot against other players who stay closer to the baseline. And I believe that if we look at the percentage of points I won when he served and volleyed, I'm not sure if I won fewer points against those who return closer than me. Again, when the balls fly slower through the air, it favors those who volley because they have more time to react, to adapt to the shot coming towards them. And that's a big disadvantage, but it seems that the ATP doesn't care".