Medvedev, eliminated and discontent: “If I'm happy with the fourth round, I might as well quit tennis.”

Seeing how he had been playing in recent matches, more than one already saw Daniil Medvedev as one of the top candidates to go far in this US Open 2026. How far? I don't know, but the reality has marked his path back to Russia in the round of 16, much earlier than expected.

He did not have an easy opponent tonight, because it’s never easy to face Frances Tiafoe in New York with the entire crowd on his side. However, such a decisive scoreline speaks to why Medvedev is still far from his best version. Once again, he faltered in important moments, a confidence issue he must resolve if he wishes to compete for the biggest titles again. Here’s his latest press conference at the tournament.

Daniil Medvedev analyzes his defeat against Tiafoe at the US Open

“Tough match. I simply didn’t play well enough to win, and that’s it. I think I should have played better at some moments in the match. I should have made better shots and made better decisions. In the important moments, he probably made a better decision or hit a better shot because overall I had my opportunities. I should have won the first set. I could have won the third. The second was easy for him, in a way.”

No excuses for not playing on Arthur Ashe

“I don’t think the stadium has much to do with it. Sometimes you have the statistics and then, three years later, that statistic disappears. I think I should have played better at some moments. I should have made better shots and made better decisions.”

Learning to cope with defeat

“It’s different. I’m not sure it makes me a better athlete, as someone who wants to be number one in the world, but it is what it is. With age, you just see so many defeats that it’s just another one. Of course, I wanted to do better, but I didn’t play well enough. That’s why I’m out. On to the next one.”

Medvedev is confident in improving his performance in the short term

“I think that’s the beauty of sports. In tennis, anything can happen in a couple of weeks. Sometimes it’s magic. There are magical stories. At this moment, I guess I’m doubting myself a bit, and that was the case in today’s match. The reality is that I lost three sets to zero, and I know I can play ten times better than I did today. Was it a bad match? No, but I can play much better. If I want to win Grand Slams, I need to play better. I do believe I can do it because I show it from time to time on the court. But I just need to be more consistent and play better more often.”

Medvedev’s words reflect his current ambition

“It’s like today’s match. It’s not bad, but if I’m happy with the fourth round, I might as well stop playing tennis. I’m not happy with the result. I’m glad about how I managed to turn things around. I played three good matches. But today was a disappointing match, a disappointing level. So I’m definitely not happy, although maybe it’s a bit better than I expected after the last three US tournaments.”

Words about Tiafoe and his playing style

“I think he played as he plays, perhaps with a few fewer errors. That was probably the biggest difference. But, again, he knows how I play, I know how he plays, and it’s a matter of making the shots when you need to make them, serving when you have to, putting pressure in important moments, and things like that. All of that is what I didn’t manage to do well enough today and all he managed to do well enough today. The scoreline reflects that.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev, eliminado e inconformista: “Si estoy feliz con la cuarta ronda, mejor dejo el tenis”