Among the most anticipated players in Paris-Bercy, where today started the last Masters 1000 of the season – there is definitely Daniil Medvedev. The Russian player has always found himself well on the courts of the French capital and is still looking for his first title in 2024.
Despite some prestigious results, this year certainly cannot be considered satisfactory for the former world number 1. The champion from Moscow has failed several important goals and gave the feeling of being very far from the first two players in the ATP ranking at this time.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have both suffered several painful defeats in recent months, and the Russian has yet to find a tactic to surprise them. The Italian ace defeated Daniil in the final of the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, as well as in the semifinals of the Masters 1000 Miami and in the quarterfinals of the US Open.
The Spaniard – on the other hand – defeated the Russian in the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000 and in the semi-finals of the Wimbledon Championships. The 2021 US Open champion suffered a lot from all these losses and did not express his best tennis for much of this season.
Daniil Medvedev on the French crowd
Medvedev will only have the Paris-Bercy Masters 1000 and the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin as his last chance to redeem a season that is disappointing for a player of his caliber. The former world number 1 – who has a bye in the first round – will face the winner of the match between Matteo Berrettini and Alexei Popyrin in the second round in Paris-Bercy. Regardless of who will emerge victorious from this clash, it will certainly not be an easy match for the champion from Moscow.
Speaking with ‘France Telévision’ before the his debut in the French capital, Daniil expressed his point of view about this tournament: “Sometimes I can seduce the French crowd, and sometimes I can’t. Bercy and Roland Garros are the same. There are days when the whole stadium is behind me and days when the whole stadium is against me. The French are hard to seduce. One day we love you and another day we don’t. Let’s see how it goes this year.”
It would be a real shame if the Russian ace ended 2024 without winning an ATP title. The former world number 1 needs confidence in view of 2025, which could be a truly decisive year for his career. Medvedev will have to defend the final at the Australian Open, the final in the Masters 1000 in Indian Wells and the semi-final in the Masters 1000 in Miami, which is why he will need to play his best tennis from the beginning of next year. The last two tournaments of his season fit very well with his style of play, although it should be remembered that Daniil had some shoulder problems during the Masters 1000 in Shanghai and the ‘Six Kings Slam’ in Saudi Arabia.
A disappointing season
In a recent interview, the Russian admitted that Sinner and Alcaraz are the two new references of men’s tennis: “The only thing I know is that, actually it’s true that, usually after pre-season I start the season good, because that’s the only time during the year when you have like – well I said two weeks – but sometimes it can be three, where it’s like three full weeks of preparation for something, which we don’t have during the year.
During the year, the maximum you can have is maybe two, when there is no Olympic Games, like after Wimbledon. And still, it is a bit different. I always work hard. There were always tough guys. Before it was Rafa, Roger, Novak. Now it is Carlos, Jannik, some other guys. You just have to practice hard, try to improve your game and try to beat them.”
Medvedev also faced Jannik in the ‘Six Kings Slam’ and suffered one of the most dramatic defeats of his career, making some surprising statements at the press conference. “I usually think of Jannik Sinner as a little bit more consistent, more like a machine, while Carlos Alcaraz is a little bit more, you know, swinging with some classy shots,” Medvedev admitted. “But when Carlos is at the top of his game, I consider him slightly better. But we’re talking about peak performance. Today I changed my opinion. I’ve never played against someone who played like Jannik Sinner today,” he added. During the off-season, the 2021 US Open champion will have to introduce something new into his game in view of 2025.
