Daniil Medvedev got slighted on season two of the Netflix docuseries Break Point. In one episode that focuses on Alexander Zverev, we get to hear that Zverev thinks Medvedev is a “dirty player.” We do not get to hear what Medvedev thinks about Zverev, however. The issue is that Netflix makes us want to like the wrong guy as Medvedev is not the person with the alleged domestic assault issues.
Daniil Medvedev is an extremely entertaining watch on the court. You never have to guess what he is thinking, but he also plays with a flare during matches and hits balls at ridiculous angles. Once a match is over (even during a match such as his comment at the 2023 US Open that a player could “die” because of how the tournament handled the heat on the court), he is a funny and honest interviewee.
But Daniil Medvedev has also only won one Grand Slam. That came against Novak Djokovic in the 2021 US Open final. The Russian has also won the ATP Finals once (2020). He is a great player, but he might have simply been born at the wrong time – between the Djokovic and Rafael Nadal generation and the Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner generation. But former ATP No. 1 Andy Roddick says to not overlook Medvedev’s greatness.
Andy Roddick gives honest response about Daniil Medvedev
On the first episode of Roddick’s new podcast, Served with Andy Roddick, Roddick said he got into a conversation on X (the artist formerly known as Twitter) after Medvedev lost in the 2024 Australian Open to Sinner about who the best players ever were that only had won one Grand Slam. While Roddick did reach No. 1 for a short time – 13 total weeks beginning in 2003 – he only earned one major victory (2003 US Open) and he lost to Roger Federer in four other Grand Slam finals.
Roddick did not hold back in his effusive praise of Medvedev and said that the Russian is a better player than himself. Roddick said, “I’ll just tell everyone right now, he’s better than I ever was. He has 20-something-odd titles. He’s won however many Masters Series events, one World Tour Finals, has been No.1 in the world, oh by the way – beat Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam final.
“(Medvedev) has put himself there, I mean he’s been in back-to-back Grand Slam finals. This guy is better. If anyone calls him a ‘one Slam wonder’, they’re idiots and don’t know what they’re talking about.”
The hope, however, is that the soon-to-be 28-year-old Medvedev still can compete for Grand Slam finals for the next five years at least. Maybe he will win another one or three. That way, Medvedev will not have to be involved in silly conversations about who the best player ever is who only won one major.
