Medvedev Admits He Had To Adjust His Game Ahead Of Clay Season
ATP
Daniil Medvedev doesn't like clay courts, and his game also isn't necessarily a great fit for the surface, which is why he has to adjust during the clay-court part of the season.
The Russian has been a bad fit on clay for much of his career, and while he still doesn't favor the red dirt, he has embraced the challenge in recent years. He wants to do well on the high-bouncing surface because he can do well if he really tries, and that's a huge motivation for him.
The 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters will give him the first chance to attempt to do that this year, and he's hoping to bring some of the success in recent weeks to the red dirt as well. It will take some adjusting to do so, as he revealed during his pre-tournament press conference.
"I definitely have to change my game because my strokes are too flat and clay does not let the ball go through the court as much. My opponents can use those [shots against me]."
"At the same time, you can’t change what you do in nine months or a year drastically, so I have to find a good balance where I still play my game, with a little change, with some shots in the right moment."
Medvedev also admitted that he would like to play on hard courts all the time if possible, and it's still a feeling that persists with him. At the same time, even though clay doesn't benefit him, he genuinely believes having a variety of courts is beneficial to the sport overall.
"I wish we could continue on hard, but I understand that there are different surfaces on Tour and that is good because some people are better on clay, some on hard, some on grass. It is good to have the different surfaces, I think that is good for the sport."
