Medvedev: "I don't like to play against Tsitsipas, but he must also hate playing against me"

Raquel Bermúdez Rodríguez | 23 Jan 2026 | 08.29

Medvedev: "I don't like playing against Tsitsipas, but he must also hate playing against me" - Photo: Getty

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Daniil Medvedev had to roll up his sleeves to avoid the surprise of Fabian Marozsan at the 2026 Australian Open. Having to resort to a fifth set, the Russian player completed a tough comeback to advance in the main draw of the first Grand Slam of the season.

Minutes after achieving that challenging victory, Daniil Medvedev attended the press conference to analyze his next opponent at the 2026 Australian Open: Learner Tien. Additionally, the Russian player talked about his feelings after the match and the tough conditions in Melbourne.

Daniil Medvedev and a tough five-set battle at the 2026 Australian Open

"When you're down two sets to love, it's better because you still have a chance compared to losing a best-of-three match, but it's such a long way that I don't know if you're relaxed. I'm quite tense when I play my matches. Being tense doesn't mean tight, but all my rallies are long, so it's a bit of a different game. I'm not saying it's relaxing for me to play five-set matches, but it's definitely a completely different game. Surely there are players who perform better in them," explained Daniil Medvedev at the press conference.

Medvedev and his rivalry with Learner Tien

"During the match, they showed the scores. I normally don't look at the screen or anything like that, but this time I took a glance. At that moment, they were like three sets down. The most important thing was to win this match. Next up is Learner. The issue is that I don't like playing against him, but he must hate playing with me too. In all our matches, I was serving to win or something like that. Long and brutal rallies, etcetera. I can't remember if it was before this tournament or even before Brisbane, but I'm going to enjoy it. There will be many shots, great defense from both, some passing shots, etcetera. I'm going to try to enjoy the tennis. Of course, I'll try my best to surprise him at some point."

What can they do at the 2026 Australian Open to combat the heat?

"There isn't much you can do, but especially with this heat, I would say on the big courts, they will probably close the roof. When you enter a big court, the sun is very high, around noon. Then, there are things that move when you enter, so they provide shade. The problem is, unless you put like 10 towels in your bags, they get very hot. When you sit, everything you touch is brutally hot. Sometimes we play in these conditions. Some retire. Some suffer cramps. It's going to happen again, not just in Australia. Let's see what happens tomorrow."