Daniil Medvedev faced a tricky match in the third round of the Mutua Madrid Open 2025. The Russian had reached this point without any match practice in the tournament due to Laslo Djere’s withdrawal in the second round, while in the first, he had received a bye as a seeded player. Additionally, he was up against a player who, although not well known to the general public beyond being Francisco Cerúndolo’s brother, had just taken out Felix Auger-Aliassime in just two sets (7-6 6-4). Daniil won and also impressed, something that has been quite challenging for him in the past year regardless of the playing surface.
The hardcourt season for Daniil Medvedev was not positive at all. He fell in the second round at the Australian Open, and the only notable result was reaching the semifinals of Indian Wells, where he succumbed to Holger Rune (7-5 6-4). Historically, he doesn’t favor clay courts, but he has to try his best to earn points and avoid dropping positions in the ATP rankings. He reached the third round in Monte Carlo, and in the Mutua Madrid Open, he will face Brandon Nakashima after overpowering Juan Manuel Cerúndolo (6-2 6-2). Medvedev held a press conference after the match.
– How do you feel on clay and about not playing until the third round?
“Every day I feel better on clay. My mindset is to aim for big achievements in tournaments. I won Rome, which gives me a lot of confidence. I’ve had good results, and this season, I’ve already defeated players specialized in this surface. It was disappointing to fall so quickly to De Miñaur in Monte Carlo (6-2 6-2), but he played very well. I don’t have lofty goals, but I want to play my best tennis because I believe I can play similarly to how I play on hard courts.”
“I don’t know about other players, but not playing hasn’t been a problem for me. It means you’re lucky to advance directly; perhaps another player wants to play to get into the rhythm. But well, Djere is a very tough player, although I would have liked to play the match. Still, for me, it’s positive to have one less match. I trained the same, and on match day, I had a double session.”
– Drop shots in tennis
“I think drop shots are crucial in the game; I use them at times, and even though I’m not the best at them, I execute them. It’s something that comes naturally, knowing how to do them well or not, for instance, Alcaraz or Musetti execute drop shots that seem impossible to return. That’s when they are most dangerous because you don’t expect them, and yet they execute them perfectly. When I practice with Khachanov, sometimes we do drop shots, but they are nothing like what they do. You need to have good touch because they are a great strategic move, but you shouldn’t overuse them. For example, the serve-and-volley is a good strategy, but not all points should be played that way.”
– Evolution in tennis
“Everyone can defend now using their strengths. Reilly Opelka runs worse than Alcaraz and perhaps even than myself, but he defends well. He can run, have rallies… 10 years ago, players like Zverev would probably have been serve-and-volley based. The game evolves, as do other sports like football, where defenders 40 years ago maybe only stayed in position, whereas now they run the full 90 minutes from one side of the field to the other.”
– A potential Medvedev documentary?
“I saw how they made Alcaraz’s documentary, and honestly, you are surrounded by cameras all day. That’s not something I like; it’s not for me. I don’t mind the attention; I sign autographs for everyone who asks when I’m on the court, and in hotels or on vacation, many people ask for photos or autographs. It’s fine, I do it, but when I’m having dinner with my family or in a more private setting, I don’t. It can be awkward to be asked for a photo when you’re in that setting. After dinner, sure, but not while I’m in my personal space. I can be quite firm on this.”
“I would go crazy if they made a documentary about me because they always want a little more than what you’ve allowed. They want to film your kids, your wife, ask them questions, and know more about your personal life. I know fans want to know everything about me, but there’s a need to maintain some personal space. So, no, I don’t think I’ll ever make a documentary about myself, but never say never.”
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev y un posible documental sobre él: “Me volvería loco”
