Daniil Medvedev to skip Laver Cup this year, opts for 250 event in China instead

| by Jamie Malachy

Daniil Medvedev is set to compete at the Zhuhai Championships in China this September, meaning he will be unavailable to compete as part of Team Europe at the Laver Cup.

It will be the first time in four years that the ATP 250 event in Zhuhai will be taking place, after a forced hiatus due to the pandemic and China's extended zero-Covid policy.

It is a decision that has already raised some eyebrows, as the Laver Cup is a big event to miss for a ranking event of which should be near the bottom of the priority list for the Russian.

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However, given that the Laver Cup is a team event and the involvement of Russian and Belarusian players in such a format remains somewhat ambiguous, perhaps Medvedev decided not to embroil himself in a complex or controversial decision, although his fellow compatriot Andrey Rublev is set to compete.

Either way, he will use that time to build up some form and rhythm on the surface that serves him best, as he gears up towards the Asian hard-court swing in the autumn. The 2021 US Open Champion will be the defending champion at the Shanghai Masters, having won the tournament all the way back in 2019.

With conditions that suit him, and on the surface with which he has formidable form, it could also be argued that the former World No. 1 is prioritising the correct events at the right time of the season.

Despite this, it will no doubt come as a blow for the Laver Cup this year, as it loses another big name in the first edition since Roger Federer's emotional retirement at the event last year.

This year's tournament will take place between September 22th and 24th, at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. Team World are the defending champions, having successfully clinched their first ever victory against Team Europe last September.

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