In April, Wimbledon issued a ban on all Russian and Belarussian tennis players from competing in the 2022 tournament. Daniil Medvedev said he chose to look on the bright side of the ban.
The ban was placed over the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Medvedev said he chose to use the extra time he got from the ban for himself rather than complaining.
“You’ve got to appreciate it because I definitely couldn’t change the decision of Wimbledon, I just have to keep playing by the rules,” he said in Montreal on Monday.
“If you focus on the negative part. For sure I wanted to play Wimbledon, I wanted to do well there. I always want to be in the biggest tournaments and try to play good. You can just stay in this circle of, oh my God, I was not able to be there.”
Preparing for US Open
The Moscow native said he took a little bit more rest after the loss to Grigor Dimitrov during the Mallorca Open at the end of June. He said the rest improved his confidence.
“I’ve made a very good preparation block for the US Open Series, which normally you cannot do because you play Wimbledon. I was able to do it. Feeling 100 percent physically, mentally ready. Really happy with Los Cabos for sure with the title.”
In mid-June, the US Open announced it allowed Russian and Belarussian athletes to participate in the event. He will be competing under a neutral flag in Flushing Meadow. The 26-year-old said he did not feel bothered since what mattered was playing tennis.
“No, not much, to be honest, because for me what matters is playing tennis. I really enjoy my job. Yeah, again, it’s about following the rules,” he said.
“The rule at one point was very clear that we have to play under neutral flag. Me, I’m still Daniil Medvedev. I still want to win big titles, win big matches, or small matches. It doesn’t change.”
The US Open will begin on Monday, August 29, and end on Sunday, September 11. Medvedev, Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and other top players have confirmed they will participate in the event.
At the 2021 US Open, Medvedev defeated Djokovic 6-4, 6-4, and 6-4 in the finals.
“I always say that I have to follow the rules. And where I can play, I’m gonna play. I’m going to try to play my best,” Medvedev said
“I’m happy that I will be able to defend. It would be really disappointing if I would not, because that’s some great memories and always in US Open, it’s an amazing tournament, probably the more special one for me.”
Victory in Los Cabos
On Saturday, the world’s number one won four consecutive matches without dropping a single set in Los Cabos, Mexico, to claim his first title of the year. He defeated reigning Champion Cameron Norrie 7-5-6-0.
“It was not easy. Cam is an amazing player, so it was really intense,” he said. “When you play against Cam, you know that you have to fight for every point.”
Norrie won his first ATP Tour title last year. He was only one match short of retaining the trophy.
“I fought as hard as I could but Daniil, he was too good,” Norrie said. “Well done to you and your team, definitely deserved it this week.”
Medvedev is fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings with the 250 points he earned from Los Cabos. He is looking to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth consecutive year.