The more mature Medvedev opens up before playing in Montreal: "Now I think a little more and I am more aware of things"
The Russian is facing a hard court tour in North America, which has historically gone well for him, in which he needs to find his best version in a year that has gone from better to worse.
Daniil Medvedev has one last opportunity to turn around a year that started promisingly after a tough 2025 but has dwindled over the weeks to a situation similar to last year. Stagnant with his game, lacking solutions, and eliminated early on. But now he's back on hard courts, his favorite surface where his game is most dangerous. He will first compete in a Masters 1000 in Canada, which he already knows how to win.
The Russian has lost that ability to defeat any rival, and the strength and toughness of facing the Muscovite have also dissipated among his opponents. But that does not mean that Medvedev has said his last word, because now comes a tour that he enjoys a lot.
Daniil Medvedev recalls that hard courts are his favorite surface before playing in the Masters 1000 in Canada
“I like playing on hard courts. I usually enjoy the conditions. They are quite fast courts. They are surfaces that I enjoy. I haven’t played well every year, but there have been many seasons where I managed to do well. The best part is that this year my first tournament will be Montreal. I haven't played before this season. So the best thing is to continue afterwards with Cincinnati and the US Open. That’s what I’m going to try to do,” he assured at the tournament presentation.
Medvedev took the opportunity to talk about his relationship with the Canadian public, which, as with people all over the world, is a mix of love and hate: “It really depends on the match I just played. Sometimes it can be positive, other times it can be negative. But I hope this year I can produce good matches because, in the end, what you do on the court is what counts. If you play a good match, you win. There is struggle, there is good tennis. I think that’s the simplest way to get the crowd on your side.”
But there was a moment during the presentation when the Muscovite got serious and reflected on his age (30 years) and how differently he now sees tennis and life: “It’s clear that I no longer belong to the new generation, that’s for sure. I find it quite interesting because you start to know yourself better, to understand yourself better. And I’m not just talking about tennis; I’m talking about everything. Before, it was just fun to be here. Now I think a little more, I’m more aware of things, and it can also be a pleasure to do it. More or less, that’s how I approach it. Now with this new American tour, I’m eager to see what I can do.”
And one of those things that have made him mature are his two daughters, who have 'forced' him to seek a balance: “It’s not very easy because, of course, you want to be home more. Sometimes you travel, sometimes you don’t. Besides, with two girls, it’s not easy either. It’s actually a bit like I said earlier: it’s a matter of experience and doing what you can to balance tennis life and training, which can be from ten in the morning to eight in the evening. There’s not much free time. And then there’s family life because you want to be with them. So it’s a balance that needs to be found. That’s what I try to do every day. Sometimes I succeed. Sometimes I don’t,” concludes a Daniil Medvedev with a different outlook but the same desire to win titles.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El Medvedev más maduro se abre antes de jugar en Montreal: "Ahora pienso un poco más y soy más consciente de las cosas"