Daniil Medvedev compares himself to Jannik Sinner immediately after exiting Roland Garros
Daniil Medvedev suffered an unfortunate first round defeat at the hands of qualifer Adam Walton as his time at Roland Garros came to a swift end.
The Russian star has now lost seven of his last 10 first round matches at Roland Garros and he has now exited the first round of four of the last five Grand Slams.
Medvedev was heard arguing with his wife during the match in one of his poorest performances under his new coaches Thomas Johansson and Rohan Goetzke.
After his five-set defeat, Medvedev suggested part of the issues he has on the court these days is down to the mass changes in the sport under the Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz era.
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Using Sinner as an example, Medvedev said in his press conference: “My tennis depends on a couple of things that I cannot control. If the ball is not running, I don’t have the power to make it run like Jannik. He doesn’t care.
“If the ball is not running, he hits with maximum power anyway. If it runs, he adjusts a bit and doesn’t need to hit as hard. I hit hard, and if the ball doesn’t run, well, it doesn’t.
“I know I am in good shape, and I can also play well at Roland Garros, I really can do it, just that it’s harder for me, and the early rounds are usually more difficult, but I will always come here.”
Medvedev suggested he might make a change to his schedule ahead of Roland Garros last year, to try and solve his first round woes at the clay court Grand Slam.
“Maybe I should consider playing a tournament before, something I usually don’t do before Grand Slams,” said Medvedev. “When something doesn’t work, why not change it? That’s the only thing I will consider for next year”.
Medvedev took a week off between the Italian Open and Roland Garros, while there were several clay court events on the ATP Tour calendar. The Russian star could have picked to play in Geneva or Hamburg, which is what he might do next year.
However, his first round opponent, Walton, prepared for Roland Garros by playing hardcourt Challenger events in China, so perhaps preparation is not the key to performing well on the Paris clay.
Walton will now play Zachary Svajda in the second round, but Medvedev will be looking at the draw with a sense that he has missed a real opportunity.
The Russian star would not have had to play a single top 10 player until the quarter-finals at the earliest, with Flavio Cobolli the highest ranked player in his section of the draw.
