‘Unique’ star backed to make a big splash at Roland Garros

French Open

James Richardson
May 22, 2023

Former Roland Garros finalist Alex Corretja believes that Rome Masters winner Daniil Medvedev will be one to watch in Paris.

Medvedev hadn’t won a title on clay before arriving in Rome and also hadn’t even won a match at the Foro Italico until his championsip run.

Corretja believes that Medvedev is the ATP Tour’s mad scientist.

“He is unique,” Corretja said on Eurosport about Medvedev.

“He is someone that you don’t know what to think is on his mind because he is saying things when maybe he feels different things. I think in his mind he’s playing with the mind of everyone else, with the opponent, with the crowds. I think he’s a genius, honestly.

“He is just definitely someone who is so tough to beat. He now knows how to play different on clay. He’s hitting that forehand much harder than before, and his backhand is always deep, but he is coming a little bit closer from the baseline. He defends very well.

“I’m sure that playing against him best of five is not going to be any easy. He has time to do different things and he’s got the patience. You need to be there for many hours to beat him, so you need to play very well if you want to be the best of five.”

Corretja believes that is confidence that has made all the difference for Medvedev on clay this season.

“I always thought that there was no reason why he couldn’t play well because although maybe he doesn’t have that big acceleration which is very important on clay, he likes to run and he likes to move.

“Maybe because his serve is good, but not as great as on hard courts, this is a factor, and also, sometimes because he plays so far back, his ball doesn’t get through the court, as in other surfaces.

“But the confidence is there. He’s been winning so many times this year, so many matches. So when you go on court, you feel like, ‘OK, why not? I can do that on clay as well’.

“I think he’s more prepared and his mobility now, it changed a lot. And it’s absolutely brilliant to see him the way he’s adapting to these surfaces.”

Medvedev has aided his cause be ensuring he will anchor the draw as the second seed and won’t have to face tournament favourite Carlos Alcaraz until at least the final if at all.

Alex Corretja Daniil Medvedev