"Did the Australian Open break me? I don't know" - says Daniil Medvedev
ATP
Daniil Medvedev admitted that his loss in the final of the 2022 Australian Open might have broken him.
The Russian player led 2-0 against Rafael Nadal in the final of the first Grand Slam of the season. Leading 3-2 in the third set, he had a 40-0 lead on his opponent's serve, but he couldn't convert that into his second Grand Slam trophy.
Medvedev was the last player to lift a major before that final, as he triumphed at the 2021 US Open. With his hard-court qualities, it wasn't surprising to see him in another Grand Slam final, but it was surprising to see him lose that big of a lead.
Now, speaking at the 2022 Astana Open, the former ATP World No. 1 player spoke about his loss in Melbourne, admitting it could have broken him.
"Did the final in Australia break me? It’s never known. This may very well be true – or it may not be true. I don’t know. I didn’t play well in Indian Wells and Miami, but I was already on a different wavelength. But the tournament in Acapulco was hard to play after the Australian final."
At the same time, Medvedev admitted that he already forgot about the final. While he would have wanted to win it, he knows it's in the past now.
"The final in Australia is already forgotten. Yes, it’s a shame, I wanted to win, but I can’t change it anymore, so the only thing left is to try to do it better next time. Even if there was an influence, I hope that I will be able to overcome it."
Medvedev now has the experience of being the World No. 1 player, and he knows how it feels. The Russian player admitted that there's a certain pressure associated with that spot.
"So it’s hard to say. The pressure I put on myself will always be there. I try not to overdo it, but I always strive to be the best – no matter where I am. Everything that happened is an experience."
"And I hope that with this experience, I can grow. In fact, the easiest goal is to score as many points as possible. But I want to win as many tournaments as possible."
