Daniil Medvedev has had a really superb year so far winning multiple trophies including losing only a handful of matches.
The year didn't start off well for Medvedev with a couple of losses in Australia. His exit from Australia was particularly surprising due to his great track record at the event. Things would soon become better as he looked good in Rotterdam.
After winning that event, he added Doha to his trophy tally and then finished it off with a superb showing in Dubai. Indian Wells was a good showing as well but Carlos Alcaraz proved impossible to beat with Medvedev earning his flowers by beating Sinner and now in Rome with a triumph over Rune. He had serious doubts about his equipment earlier this year as he explained after the win over Rune.
I think strings help me, the new strings I try this year, because they are just softer so the ball goes easier. Straightaway in Australia actually where I lost, with my coach we were like, Wow, I have the easy depth on the ball, which is amazing. In Australia, didn't work. I was 100% doubting myself. Should I go back to the old ones, I was playing good with it? I said no, let's try more. Now it's unbelievable.
Getting used to playing on clay isn't something that comes naturally to Medvedev. His dislike for the surface is rather well known as he paraded it more than once openly. It wasn't much different this year as he explained that getting back to it wasn't that great.
When I came to practice on clay first few days, I was hating my life. I was coming back home. I was in a bad mood. I was like, I don't want to do this again. I don't want to go through this again.
He overcame all of that to play some solid tennis on the surface for a few weeks with the Rome Open being the first clay title he won. It probably won't be the last one as he seemes to be on good terms with it right now.
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