Daniil Medvedev begins his Miami Open marketing campaign on Friday, however the Russian participant would possibly battle to command the highlight usually reserved for defending champions.
Fans are presently captivated by the rising rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Medvedev burst onto the tennis scene aiming to interrupt the dominance of the Big Three – Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal – within the highlight.
However, as that period begins to fade, the 28-year-old finds himself as soon as once more on the periphery, with world No. 2 Alcaraz and Australian Open champion Sinner stealing the present.
“I’m trying to catch them here and there,” Medvedev mentioned at a press convention on Thursday. “But for me, it is all the time a great problem when we’ve these younger guys arising; it makes you solely higher.
“The more I play, the more young guys will come, and the more I’ll try to adapt my game, and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”
Straddling two generations, Medvedev has by no means fairly slot in with both. His expertise is unquestionable, with a resume that includes a U.S. Open title and 5 different appearances in Grand Slam finals.
If something has held Medvedev again, it’s his incapacity to ship persistently on the largest moments, dropping twice in Grand Slam finals to Nadal and twice extra to Djokovic, who shouldn’t be competing within the Miami Open.
And Medvedev is starting to exhibit that very same failing towards the brand new leaders of the pack.
Winning the primary two units towards Sinner within the Australian Open ultimate, Medvedev crumbled and misplaced the subsequent three because the Italian claimed his first Grand Slam crown.
It was Alcaraz who ended the Russian’s hopes within the Wimbledon semi-finals final yr, whereas the Spaniard additionally defeated Medvedev within the final two Indian Wells finals.
Fans have been sluggish to heat to the enigmatic Medvedev, who has performed the function of villain in addition to crowd favourite.
He conceded that it isn’t simply successful that issues to followers however the way you get the job achieved.
“I think it’s in every sport when you play defensively, people want to see the shots,” mentioned Medvedev. “As quickly as Carlos got here on the tour, he gained numerous followers as a result of he crushes the ball.
“For me, the result’s an important; it is extra vital than, for instance, being stunning on the courtroom.
“When players can mix it up, it’s, in my opinion, even more beautiful.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com