Daniil Medvedev , the new ATP number one, is already in the semifinals of the Acapulco tournament, where he will meet Rafa Nadal again after the Australian Open final. The Russian tennis player showed his opinion on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and acknowledged that he is “in favor of peace.” “It has been a roller coaster of emotions,” said Medvedev, of a day marked by the news that came from his country and on the same day in which he was known as the new first racket on the circuit after the defeat of Novak Djokovic.
“At this moment it will be understood that tennis is sometimes not that important. I woke up with a lot of emotions,” said Daniil Medvedev , who will appear at the top of the ATP ranking next Monday. The feat for the Russian coincided with a day when his country was carrying out the invasion of Ukraine. “This day has been like a roller coaster with many feelings,” said the Muscovite tennis player at a press conference after beating the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka in the quarterfinals of the Acapulco tournament.
“As a tennis player I want to promote peace throughout the world. We play in many different countries. I have been to so many different countries as a junior and as a professional. It is not easy to hear all this news. I am in favor of peace », he said after sealing the ticket to the Acapulco semifinal, where he will meet again with Rafa Nadal.
Precisely, about this reunion with the Spanish after the final of the Australian Open in which the title escaped him after scoring the first two sets, the Russian tennis player spoke. «It’s nice if we play again because doing it against the ‘Big Three’ or ‘Big Four’ is an honor and a challenge. In Australia I was close, but the reality is that I lost and it was hard. But this is sport. It is an opportunity to take revenge,” Medvedev said.
“It’s early to talk about a new era”
«If I can win tomorrow, great, although if we meet again later in Indian Wells or Miami, the one who won here will be of little value. It will be a different challenge to beat him and be better than him. He is an impressive player, it is never easy to beat him, “added Medvedev about his next confrontation against Rafa Nadal, with the ticket to the Acapulco final at stake.
Medvedev, who will appear as the new number one in the ATP from next Monday, assured that it is still early to talk about a new era in tennis. «It is difficult to say, especially if one looks at what happened in the last Grand Slams. Most were won by the Big-3, although it is true that I had the privilege of lifting the last title at the US Open. For my part, I am trying to put into practice my highest level of tennis, but that time in New York was the only time that I have been able to beat a member of the Big-3 in Grand Slam tournaments, “said the Russian.
«I will have to continue working and do better, since in other types of tournaments I have known how to beat them. In this Australian Open it happened to me again, there were moments in the match where I wasn’t strong enough. It’s a bit early to talk about a new era, but for my part I’m happy to have achieved such a goal. A great feeling for me and my team,” Medvedev concluded.
