Daniil Medvedev said goodbye to Roland Garros 2026 in the worst possible way: early and leaving feelings of tremendous vulnerability. Another chapter of disappointment in Paris.
It is difficult to explain Daniil Medvedev's recent reality in the Grand Slams. Out of the last five he has played, he was knocked out in four of them at the outset, a disgrace where the Russian's bad attitude weighed more than the merit of his opponents. Today at Roland Garros, it was against Adam Walton, a man who had won only three official clay matches in his entire career. Despite the Australian's total inexperience, he managed to steal a fifth set from the Moscow player, although later in the press conference he tried to downplay this misstep.
Medvedev reflects on his defeat in Roland Garros 2026
“It wasn't an easy match, I didn't play my best tennis. He played well at times and not so well at others, while I managed to take advantage when his level dropped. That's all, I didn't raise my level enough to win the entire match, so I lost. I don't want to make excuses; I know why I usually don't play my best tennis at Roland Garros, but if I say it, it would be excuses. So I keep it to myself."
Was the heat the cause of it all?
“No, I don't think so. I felt fine with the heat. I mean, it's not easy for anyone to play in this heat, but I felt good. Overall, I felt we were 'cool,' especially in the fifth set where we kept running and all that. No one had cramps or anything like that, so I don't think the heat influenced, except that playing in heat on clay is a bit different, but that's normal."
A matter of conditions
“Each tournament has a different court, different balls, and other conditions. Furthermore, I can be different every day. I don't like getting up early, and I usually perform worse when I wake up at 6:15 in the morning; I like to sleep more. That's part of the little things; in tennis, you need to adapt, and sometimes I'm not good enough at adapting, although sometimes I am. That's basically all I can say”.

Daniil Medvedev blames modern tennis for his poor performance
“My tennis depends on a couple of things I can't control. If the ball doesn't move, I don't have the power to make it move like Jannik. He doesn't care. If the ball doesn't move, he hits at maximum power anyway. If it moves, he adjusts a bit and doesn't need to hit as hard. I hit hard, and if the ball doesn't move, then it doesn't move. I know I am in good shape and that I can also play well at Roland Garros; I really can do it, it's just harder for me, and the early rounds tend to be more challenging, but I will always come here. Perhaps I should consider playing a tournament before, something I don't usually do before Grand Slams. When something doesn't work, why not change it? That's the only thing I'll consider for next year”.
Poor form in Grand Slams, but he doesn't lose faith
“I feel that I am still generally good in Grand Slams. Yes, now I may lose in the first round, but I don't think I have lost the ability to perform in Grand Slams. I believe that can come back at any moment, for example at Wimbledon. But speaking generally of the four Grand Slams, I think the game has changed compared to five years ago, and I don't feel that favors me; now it's very hard for me to find rhythm. The first round is the toughest, and once I get through that, maybe I can do better”.
本新闻为自动翻译。您可以阅读原始新闻:Medvedev: “El tenis ha cambiado desde hace cinco años, me cuesta mucho encontrar el ritmo”

