Medvedev: "If it weren't for tennis, I would probably have stayed in Dubai"

Pedro de Pablos | 8 Mar 2026 | 13.34

Medvedev: "If it wasn't for tennis, I probably would have stayed in Dubai."

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The recent days of Daniil Medvedev have been an emotional roller coaster. After winning the title at the Dubai ATP 500, the Russian player found himself stranded in the city due to the armed conflict that had erupted. He had to go through an odyssey to make it in time to Indian Wells, a challenge he has remarkably handled with surprising ease after winning his first-round match against Alejandro Tabilo.

Despite having less preparation time than usual, Medvedev comfortably defeated the Chilean player. In the subsequent press conference, he downplayed his recent experiences. In fact, he went as far as stating that he felt secure at all times and that if he didn't have the duty to play the Indian Wells 2026 Masters 1000, he would have stayed there. Daniil in his purest form, also sending a warning to his rivals that he had great sensations in his tournament debut.

Match against Alejandro Tabilo

"I think today was a great match for me. I did everything right. I didn't have to save any break points, although in some games, I had some pressure on my serve. I think I pressured him a lot from the baseline. I feel like I outplayed him. So his only chance was to serve well, which keeps you in any match in the world. But I managed to return pretty well at crucial moments, and that was enough to win today. I'm very happy because Alejandro is a tough opponent."

Journey from Dubai and lack of preparation

"Normally, you have about four or five days to prepare here if you do well in Dubai, or even in Acapulco. Here I had three days, which isn't bad. It's not like I had a single day and had to play. So three days isn't bad. It's borderline because there's a 12-hour difference with Dubai, and our trip was tougher than a direct flight from Dubai to Los Angeles. But honestly, I felt very good today, which means the jet lag has disappeared, and I did a good job, slept well and am looking forward to giving 100% in the upcoming matches, although I already did today."

Experience of the journey amid the armed conflict

"At one point, we were exchanging a lot of messages with Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov, without a doubt. Andrey and I decided to go to Oman to try to find something there. It wasn't easy to find because everyone was trying to leave, and there weren't many flights available. But we managed to find a plane. Karen joined us, and the next day, we managed to fly to Istanbul and then from Istanbul to Los Angeles. It was longer and a bit more stressful than usual in terms of logistics. I spent a lot of time on the phone, which exhausted me a lot. As I said, I arrived here a bit more physically tired than usual, but I managed to handle it well."

Insights on the armed conflict

"I stayed in one of the hotels where something happened, so we had to evacuate at night with my wife. It's like, how to say, I think it depends on the type of person you are and the situation you are in, so if I were with my kids, I would probably be more stressed about the situation. The kids were not there. They were at home in Monaco. So I thought, 'Well, the important thing now is how to get to Indian Wells.' Honestly, if not for tennis, I probably would have stayed in Dubai because I felt quite safe there. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how I felt there.

But for me, the important thing was, 'Okay, how do we get to Indian Wells and how do I get my wife back with the kids to Monaco?' We managed it. And again, that was the main thing because, for example, on Sunday, we were at the mall, enjoying ourselves in Dubai. I don't think we were too stressed about the situation itself but more about how to get out of there."

Doubts whenever playing in Indian Wells

"Yes, Indian Wells is a strange place for me, especially in the first days when the jet lag couldn't be greater coming from Dubai, and I always play in Dubai. So every time I come here, there's a 12-hour time difference, and the court is completely different from Dubai. Even the balls feel different, although this year they are the same, but because of the court. The first two or three days, I usually think I have no chance of winning the first round. Actually, this year was a bit different. Then I managed to play well. The last three years have been amazing here with great results. So I love coming back here. I love the place itself, not to mention the tennis. I'm looking forward to more this year, and today's match was largely of very high quality. I'm very happy with myself."

Tennis IQ

"I feel that IQ in tennis is closely related to mental strength, but at the same time, they are completely different things. For example, Novak probably has a very high IQ in tennis, but is he the highest in tennis history, or is he mentally the strongest in tennis history, or is it both? It's very difficult to say. If you ask me, I think, yes, I know some things about tennis.

In general, I like to think about matches and how I can use my strengths against the opponent's weaknesses, or even if my strength is stronger than theirs, and then play to their strengths, but maybe I am stronger in this aspect. At the same time, I also consider myself mentally strong, so I think who I could put, say, among the young ones, is Learner Tien. I've played against him four times, and in a way, each match has been different, but the way he manages to control the court and dictate the point in his favor is really impressive. Tomorrow we play doubles together; I really like his game and hope he does well in his career."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev: "Si no fuera por el tenis, probablemente me habría quedado en Dubái"