WATCH: Daniil Medvedev on his knees, but insists he has only one true love in tennis
Daniil Medvedev has taken some remarkable strides forward on clay this year as on Sunday he won his first-ever title on the surface, defeating Holger Rune in the Italian Open final, but he insisted after his success that he is not in love with the red dirt.
The former world No 1 was never afraid to express his hatred for clay in the past, but things have changed in 2023 and although it isn’t quite a love story just yet, he “likes” it these days.
Medvedev is now 10–2 on clay this year, quite an achievement for someone whose career record on the red dirt is 28–25.
The Russian fell to his knees in celebration after he defeated Rune 7-5, 7-5 in his second final on the surface – his first was a 4–6, 0–6 loss to Dominic Thiem in Barcelona in 2019 – but that doesn’t mean he is suddenly in love with clay as there is only one surface in his heart.
“Before this tournament, already in Madrid and Monte-Carlo I was feeling not too bad. Coming here, I felt amazing in practice. But then you need to play the toughest opponents in the world and I’m really happy that I managed to do it and prove to myself and everybody that I’m capable of doing it,” he told Amazon Prime Video after the match.
The 2021 US Open champion added: “(It’s a) friendship. I don’t think I love it, I love hard courts, my only love – in tennis. But I definitely like clay courts much more now.”
Medvedev has now won 20 titles (one Grand Slam, one ATP Finals, six ATP Masters 1000, four ATP 500, eight ATP 250), but where does his first title on clay rank on his CV?
He told the post-match press conference: “In a way [this is my] number one [success], just because it’s the first one on clay and it’s unbelievable.
“I would never have thought I would be able to make this. Then [I] have to be honest, a Grand Slam is always bigger. [The 2021] US Open is always number one there.
“This one is special because I didn’t think it was going to be able to happen, [that I was] going to be able to make it. I still kind of don’t believe… Not that I won it, but I played so well this week. I don’t believe it.
“The way I played, I’m really happy. Happy to have this trophy back home in some time.”
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