Daniil Medvedev now loves playing in France

French Open
Daniil Medvedev in action

It has been a slow burner but Daniil Medvedev is now in a love affair with Paris that is finally beginning to blossom.

The Russian second seed is notorious for winding up crowds and had many a run-in with the Melbourne fans at the Australian Open earlier this year.

Medvedev has also had his angry moments at the US Open and here at Roland Garros.

But the 26-year-old, who lives in France and has been speaking French in his on-court post-match interviews, has become something of a crowd favourite, a de facto home player.

“I’m not talking about (the) Australian crowd, it was just this year,” Medvedev said after a comfortable 6-3 6-4 6-3 second-round win over Serbia’s Laslo Djere.

“If not, usually I’m super happy to go to Australia and play there. Let’s see how it’s going to be next year.

“Maybe again, I know I did some mistakes also. It’s not like they just chose me and said ‘we’re going to be against him’.

“With (the) French crowd also it was up and down sometimes. I think the first three times I lost in Roland Garros it was against French guys, and it was tough. They were definitely not cheering for me.

“Playing against a French guy in Roland Garros is one of the toughest things in tennis.

“You know, first I didn’t like – not that I didn’t like playing in France – but I didn’t have good results. Now I manage to win in Bercy, in Marseille, (reached the) quarters in Roland Garros, so I love playing in France.

“Sometimes you need time to adapt.”

Medvedev will face another Serbian, Miomir Kecmanovic, in the third round.

Daniil Medvedev

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