Daniil Medvedev believes he will have to improve non-stop in order to challenge Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner as they continue to play “better and better.”
The Russian was also satisfied with his performance in 2023 season as he vowed to achieve more in the upcoming 2024 season.
Medvedev lost 3-6, 7-6(4), 1-6 to Sinner in the semis of the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin on Saturday. He sailed through the round-robin stage rather comfortably by gathering straight-set wins against Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev to reach the final four. In his last group stage match, the 27-year-old lost against Alcaraz 4-6, 4-6.
Medvedev has racked up more victories than any other player on the tour this season as he concluded the 2023 campaign with 66-18 (78.6%) win record. The lanky Russian clinched five titles including two Masters 1000 tourneys in Rome and Miami and reached finals at four other events including US Open where he lost to Djokovic in straight sets.
After losing to ATP #4, Jannik Sinner, the 2021 US Open champion reflected back on his season and assessed that he will have to improve in order to compete with the others in the current top 4 slot.
“Well, I’m happy. I’m happy. Was a great season. Some ups, some downs for sure. Big up was in the beginning of the season. I [am] still really maybe even proud of myself because before Rotterdam I dropped out of top 10,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“Was tough. Before Rotterdam on practice, I was feeling terrible, awful. I couldn’t put the ball in the court. Then I lost the first set against Davidovich [Fokina]. I still remember. Then after the first set, everything went to the better. Titles, finals, stuff like this. Generally, I’m happy with what I achieved this season.
“I’m going to try to learn from it and try to go for more in the next season because, as we say, Sinner, Alcaraz, Novak – they play only better and better. If you want to try to stay on the top, [you] have to improve non-stop.”
Medvedev also lauded Sinner for picking up the pace to beat the beast in the latter part of the season and backed the 22-year-old Italian to win big if maintains the current form.
“Very impressed, to be honest. He’s playing very good now. I mean, even today he doesn’t miss much. He can run well. If you give him easy ball, you feel like he moves you over the court. He can volley well. Serve has improved a lot. Right now he’s, let’s call it, riding a wave. You can see it,” said the former world No 1.
“Let’s see how it’s going to be in the final. It’s going to be a great semis, first of all, then the final. Then the question comes, I generally believe if he plays like this, like he played last weeks, all the time, he’s going to have Slams, No 1. Then it comes to how many weeks, how many Slams, stuff like this.
“Sometimes this way ends. The question is how often is he going to ride it. When he’s not on the wave, how good he plays. That’s the way tennis is. But at the moment he is very, very good, and there’s not much more to add.”