Daniil Medvedev won't be starting his 2024 grass-court season early, as he made a decision to postpone the start after an exit from the Roland Garros.
The last match the Russian played was in Paris at Roland Garros, and it wasn't very good. He took on Alex de Minaur and was bested in four sets in a very disappointing finish.
The match was marred by foot blisters, which also required a medical timeout. Medvedev dealt with blisters on his foot, which made it really tough for the Russian to move well, even with the treatment that basically bandaged his whole foot.
As movement is at the center of what he does, it made winning points hard for him, especially against de Minaur, who himself flies around the court fairly quickly.
It was a problem that hampered him enough to cause a loss, but it's not the only thing it caused. The same issue is presumably the reason why he won't play at the 2024 Libema Open, where he once stood in the final.
The Russian loves the event in Den Bosch and has returned there for the past few years, but this time around, the grass season will have to wait a bit. The announcement came from the event on social media, which alluded to a physical problem as the cause of the withdrawal.
"Daniil Medvedev has not emerged from Roland Garros unscathed. The world number five has therefore had to withdraw from the field of participants, but promises participation next year. Get well soon Daniil!"
The physical issue is likely the foot problem and the blisters, which require some time to heal. Playing on blisters won't help his recovery, which will be needed if he wants to play at Wimbledon and at the subsequent Paris Olympics.