“I feel that I’m not ready to show one hundred percent game”: Medvedev withdrew from the Kremlin Cup due to fatigue

Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev decided to withdraw from his VTB Kremlin Cup tournament for him. He announced this at a specially organized press conference. The athlete assured that the reason for the refusal was not an injury, but an unsatisfactory condition after the "Masters" in Shanghai, in the final of which he beat the representative of Germany Alexander Zverev with a score of 6: 4, 6: 1.

“No one could have imagined that I would speak like that in Shanghai. I’m tired mentally and physically, so I feel that I’m not ready to show a 100% game. Of course, it’s a pity to star because I really like performing in Moscow. But this is a sport, I have to listen to my body. It so happened that this year I had to refuse to participate in tournaments, where I had to defend titles. But this did not happen on purpose. The decision was made based on my condition, ”Medvedev said.

The President of the Russian Tennis Federation (FTR) Shamil Tarpischev called for understanding his decision.

“Dania is a professional athlete, so I can understand him. It is worth remembering that now he has a period of adaptation after China, the loads are superimposed on one another. And ahead of another “Masters”, the Davis Cup, as well as the final tournament in London. The most important thing is to avoid injuries. Therefore, we will think what to do next, ”Tarpishchev said.

The final in Shanghai was the seventh consecutive season for Medvedev this season. The athlete admitted that, despite the fatigue, he was pleased with the tournament, a victory in which brought him several achievements at once.

“Honestly, I couldn’t even dream of such a thing. If someone had told me at the beginning of the season that everything would turn out that way, they would definitely not have believed. Although he tried to do everything possible for this. I beat Roger Federer in the ATP championship race, which is also nice, because he is an outstanding athlete. Yes, the Swiss may not be in good shape now, but he still tries to give all the best in every match. Therefore, this is something incredible, ”the tennis player admitted.

In the semifinals of the “Masters” in Shanghai, Medvedev defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas, extending his winning streak over the Greek with Russian roots after five meetings. After the defeat, the opponent criticized Daniel for a boring game. The first racket of Russia admitted that he had only recently learned about it, but preferred not to comment.

“There were a lot of thoughts on this subject. The situation is such that every tennis player can say anything about a colleague. But honestly, I don’t take him seriously after an interview in which he talked about one of his party, ”Medvedev explained.

This season, the Russian acquired the image of a “bad guy”, which became even more established after the start of the US Open tennis championship, where he had problems with local spectators. Each of his matches was accompanied by a whistle on their part, to which Daniel answered with shrill statements. However, the situation changed in the final, when the audience actively began to support the athlete, who demonstrated willpower, losing to Spaniard Rafael Nadal in sets 0: 2.

“Did I get rid of the image of a bad guy after success? This is not for me to decide, because I do not consider myself as such. Yes, I can be emotional, but I think people have learned to distinguish me from the real Medvedev who goes to court, ”the athlete suggested.

Such a successful season could negatively affect the motivation of a 23-year-old Russian. However, Medvedev assured that his main goal remains as many victories at tournaments of all levels as possible.

“It doesn’t matter at what stage I play, because after the first round there is a second and so on until the final. The more matches, the higher the rating. Of course, in my head there is always the thought of victory, of the final of the Grand Slam tournament. Yes, I would like to beat Rafael Nadal, but at the same time, I would not mind meeting Novak Djokovic again. An opponent doesn’t matter to me, ”added the tennis player.

At the end of the press conference, he promised that he would visit the current Kremlin Cup as a spectator. In particular, he intends to cheer on his compatriot Andrei Rublev, who in the first round match meets with Kazakhstani tennis player Alexander Bublik.