AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2024

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/F. Auger-Aliassime

6-3, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, well done on reaching the second week once again. Can you sum up your week so far?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Whew, a tough one for sure. Tough matches. Physically today was very tough, but I'm happy that I managed to be able to play the match, to play it quite good. Serving well.

I felt like I could be better when moving to the ball. That's normal. My body was not 100%. But I'm happy to be here in two days. I feel like now I have enough time to recover 100% and be ready for next match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk us through yesterday, when you went to sleep, what time you woke up, what you did, ice baths...

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, after the match for sure ice baths still because after a match like this helps to just have the muscles less inflamed. One thing is to finish late. Other thing was four hours of pretty rough tennis and sprints and a lot of long points.

Then I had some blisters, so we needed to take care of it. We got to the hotel like 5:15 by the time we do the treatment and everything. By the time we did treatment, I went to bed at 7. Woke up at 12, which is a good sleep.

Yesterday, I came to the courts. Everyone was asking me What are you doing here? How are you feeling?

I was actually like, Not too bad.

I had a 45-minute practice. Maybe just some easy hitting, a lot of for sure, like, recovery drinks, work with the physio. Went to bed at like 11, slept till 9. Actually usually if I go exactly at 11 and not later, I will wake up 8, 8:30. Here I woke up at 9 with the alarm. It was tough.

During the day I slept again. Today was like tough sleep. I felt like I'm missing sleep. As I said, I was not 100% today physically, but I was 90, 85, which is still good. I'm happy about it, so yeah.

Q. Such a big match for you two years ago, reaching the final. Are you thinking about having another chance?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: 100%. I feel like I'm 100%, let's say, left this match behind. Only future and present is ahead. Was tough. Was tough. I mean, for sure wanted to win it. Was close. Then even fifth set, when he was like kind of almost winning it, I came back but still lost.

Tough loss, but now I have 100% behind me. I'm focusing on right now. I want to, as you say, try to go again to the final, try to have my chance of winning another Grand Slam. I had another final finally in US Open. Just want to show good tennis, beat good guys, and hopefully get one more title.

Q. Does an experience like you had the other night, when you lost the first two sets, then it went so late, does it sharpen your focus for the rest of the tournament? Do you just want to get in and off, three sets?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I would love to win every match in three sets, but sometimes it doesn't work like this. Emil, he played very, very strong level. I was off the first two sets. I was missing a lot. A lot of unforced errors. Can happen. I'm happy that I managed to win it.

I think, of course, we probably never saw anyone win a Grand Slam seven matches in five sets. Physically it would be tough. Mentally. Probably you would lose one time.

But if you're down two sets to love, you have to try to win. If I can win next matches in three sets, I would be happy to do it. If I'm down two sets to love, I'm going to try to win, then we see what happens.

For sure it's better to not finish that late and not play four hours again, but let's see what happens.

Q. You seem very happy. Can you explain what feels so great?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: No, I don't know. Honestly, I felt like I was always a happy person in life. I think now even more. As I said, this last one month and a half, I feeling, how you call it, in peace with myself. I feel like I know where I'm going. I know what I have to do in life, only talking about me, even if it's selfish, then of course talking about my family stuff.

I know what I want to do. I know what goals I have and how I want to achieve them. Like all these little things, sometimes even little things you don't know where you're going, you can feel a little lost sometimes. I'm probably going to feel like this sometimes during the season, especially with tennis, which is so up and down, the game.

So far I'm feeling happy and looking forward to what's next.

Q. (Off microphone.)

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Was funny because first thing he came to me and said that they call him Russian Medvedev in Greece. I don't know if that's true, but that's like okay. I think he said straightaway because he's returning very far. Yesterday when I saw he was returning from far, was returning good.

So it was a fun practice, but it was an easy one. As I said, yesterday I was hitting five, 10 minutes, then, Let's drink, stop for a little.

But, yeah, it was pretty fun. I saw him a few times in United Cup. I think he can play good tennis. Then we have many players who want to play well. The higher you go, the tougher it is. Let's see. He's still young so he has potential.

Q. The year was 2017, February 3rd, Davis Cup, Serbia-Russia.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I remember it well.

Q. There is a photo of you and Novak... I will show you. But I'm interested to get your impression of how has Daniil Medvedev compared to Daniil Medvedev ever since?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think I matured a lot. At the time I was taking tennis seriously when I was on the court, but kind of let's call it not 100%, maybe 90% or something like this. I was already top hundred. I gave Novak a tough time. Completely cramped out of the court. For three hours after the match I couldn't move, it was unbelievable. Honestly this trip was unbelievable. It's good to know I could make Novak suffer on the court already back then.

Also I cramped because I was not focusing on the food. I could basically eat fast food before the match. At the time I would think it's not important and it doesn't matter. What matters is your forehand, your backhand.

Then step by step I understood how important is off-court life. Sleep, food, treatment, whatever, all these small, small, little details. Me, that's how I work in life. Many people around me, you guys can be saying, We think this is the right thing. I will be, Okay, I see what you're saying, but until I myself, I decide to do it, it's not going to work. Maybe it's like this for many people. But at least for me.

What I said, many things I changed last month. Many people around me would say this before. Now I manage to say I want to change it even more. That's the first part about Daniil Medvedev back then.

For sure the story was unbelievable. We practiced with Novak. That was so funny. He was even like, Oh, we play Davis Cup in couple days.

I was, Yeah.

Are you going?

Yeah, I'm going. That was my first tie.

He was like, When are you going?

I was like, Saturday.

He was, Do you want to go with me?

Honestly, I feel like I'm a shy person. At first, I say, No, no, Federation already took tickets for me. It was one stop, three hours away and something. I was there, maybe I actually should have said yes. In one hour when the practice finished. Novak, really, I can come with you?

He was, Yeah.

I was, Okay, I will come.

I think that's what sometimes people don't know about Novak. He can be tough on the court, like I can be. He can be this and that. But me, since the first time I met him, I was 400 in the world. Now I'm 3 in the world. Was 1 in the world. I feel like he treats me like before.

For sure I became more of a rival than before for him. But the treatment off court when we see each other is the same. I like this about him. I find this very good from him as a person, yeah.