No added pressure for Daniil Medvedev after rise to No 2 in ATP Rankings, just an ‘energy boost’

ATP Tour
A smiling Daniil Medvedev

It would be easy for Daniil Medvedev to feel overwhelmed after surging to No 2 in the ATP Rankings, but the Russian insists he is “enjoying the moment” and looking to prove himself at the Miami Open.

Medvedev moved to a career-best No 2 last week to end the 15-year stranglehold by Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray on the top two in the rankings.

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With world No 1 Djokovic opting to skip this week’s Miami Open, the 25-year-old will be top seed at the ATP Masters 1000 event and he insists the weight of expectation is not overburdening him.

“It’s been already one week precisely. I’m enjoying the moment,” he said. “I could maybe feel pressure, (but) no, I feel like it just gives me some energy boost. I just want to try to play better and better, to prove even just for myself that I deserve this. Hopefully I can show some great tennis here in Miami.”

Medvedev, who has a bye in the first round, will open his Miami campaign against either American Sam Querrey or Lu Yen-hsun from Taiwan. His main rivals for the title at Hard Rock Stadium are likely to be Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev.

“Definitely being top seed for a Masters [1000] event, especially this one in Miami, being No 2 in the world,” he continued. “I don’t feel the pressure except for the pressure that I like to win matches and I want to win every tournament I play.

“Since I was young this pressure always stays with me, but I feel like it’s a good competitive pressure. I don’t really feel pressure from the outside because I know that if I play good I have my chances to win the tournaments and that’s the most important.”

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Daniil Medvedev

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