AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2026

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

D. MEDVEDEV/F. Marozsan

6-7, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Daniil, you had a few comebacks from Love-2 down in sets. Where do you rank this one?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Oh, tough to say. I mean, I probably had some better ones in terms of scoreline, like against Ruusuvuori and Felix here, was like some tiebreaks and this and that. But when you're two sets to love down, it's always tough.

I do know kind of also where my game is, so a lot of this Love-2 sets comebacks, for example, the fourth set I win easy because I feel strong physically. The fifth set, the guy comes back, like, strong.

That's what happened last year many, many times. I lost all the matches having a break up coming back from two sets to love down. So I'm happy that I managed to stay strong, not let this get into my head, and finish the match. Because again, what happens in the past doesn't matter. What happens today is the most important.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Stan Wawrinka has a really good record in best-of-five than in best-of-three. He said there are parts of best-of-five that's more relaxing sometimes. I'm wondering if you feel similar about the format?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, it depends 'cause I see what he means, and at the same time, when you're two sets to love down, I mean, it's better because you still have a chance than you lost the match if it's better out of three.

But it's such a long road that I don't know if you're relaxed. You're, like, if I lose... I see what he means where then it comes to where everyone I different. I am pretty tense when I play my matches. Tense doesn't mean tight, but all my rallies are long so it's a bit different game.

Not say it's relaxing for me to play five-set matches, but it's just for sure completely different game. For sure you have some players playing better in either of them.

I feel like I'm in general pretty, pretty same both. I like out of three, but then I can lose. I like out of five, but then I can lose. So yeah.

Q. I know you have some history with Learner Tien. When you come off the court after a five-set match like that and know that that is your reward, how do you feel about it?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: During the match they showed the scores. Usually I don't look on TVs or something. This time I glimpsed. This moment, they were, like, Tien three sets. I thought okay. And I was two sets to love down.

If I win this one, it's going to be five sets. It's going to be very tough, and then I have Learner. But it's okay. The most important, as I said, is to win this match. Then the next one is Learner.

The thing is that I kind of don't like to play him, but he must hate to play me as well. All our matches, I was serving for the match or something. It's long, brutal rallies, et cetera. As I said, I don't remember if it was before this tournament or even before Brisbane, I'm going to enjoy it. There's going to be a lot of shot-making, a lot of good defenses from both of us, some passing shots, et cetera.

I'm going to try to enjoy the game of tennis. Of course, try to do my best to maybe surprise him somewhere.

Q. You mentioned last year, a lot of the five-set matches didn't go your way. How hard is for that not to be in your head when you're battling away in the fifth set today? Does it show you're on the right track that you turned this one around?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: It's for sure very tough. But I always also know that, of course, like what happens in the past, it has a memory. It's not easy sometimes to put it away. In the same time, again, every match is different. Every opponent is different.

Some of them, unfortunately when there is like this last step, they play the best tennis of their life. Some of them can get tighter. It depends on many reasons.

When I lost a game at 4-2, 40-15, he hit a crazy return, like I don't know. They showed on TV. But I think it was like maybe 170 kilometers-per-hour return from a good serve. Then it's 4-3. I'm like, Not again.

The only thing I could do is fight for the next game. I managed to do it. Pretty confident game on my serve, with again a let for him where I go, Not again.

Of course action it's in my mind. The most important is try to finish this exact match. Even if it doesn't go your way, you try to do it in the next one.

Q. Tomorrow is supposed to be incredibly hot. How does a forecast like that impact your day off, your practice schedule?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, we were thinking a bit with the team what's better, to sleep or to go a bit earlier. Decided to sleep. So I will practice in the heat.

Then worst case, if it's too hot, we can always go indoors, which I would prefer outdoors. We try outdoors, see how it goes. Of course, not easy for the guys to play. That's what happens in Australia. Not only.

It depends also the humidity, I guess. It's going to be interesting to watch on TV. What can I say? Let's see how the guys cope up. Hopefully no heat strokes and stuff like this.

Q. Knowing you were going to play Tien, how far ahead do you look in the draw?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I always say I never look at the draw, like, Oh, my God, if I win this, I play this. Now I know the draw. The more I go through the tournament, sometimes they show it on TV. I don't go, Oh, my God, I'm not going to watch. I basically know the draw in and out already. Not all the pairs, but I know which seeds I have.

Again, it doesn't matter. Need to beat Learner to be in the quarters. Need to beat someone else to be... So it's match by match.

Q. I know you know him very well at this point. Do you think you underestimated Tien before your first match here last year?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Probably. Because he was coming from quallies. Yes, I knew he's a young guy who's going to progress. But he finished the year maybe not top 30 but very close. Maybe even top 30, with a title especially.

So for sure I would probably, especially like before our match in Australia, I would not say that he would do this in already last year. Even probably after our match I would not say this because it's a long road.

Now, no underestimation. He's an amazing player doing big things, big future, and you never know what happens. Again, in two days, no underestimation. Just try to win.

Q. Last year there were some changes in your tennis life and private life. You brought the new coach. What is the new that brought to your tennis routine? Your second daughter, congratulations. What is the difference like in terms of your time spending with them or tennis? Anything different now?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: With two it's definitely tougher than with one. Already, it's funny, whenever I talk to some of my friends who has kids, everyone goes, like, Okay, but when we didn't have kids, what were we doing? Literally, what were we doing? When you don't have kids, you're like, Oh, I don't have much time, tennis takes a lot sometimes.

When you have two kids, you're like, When I have no kids, I must have been bored. You have so much free time. It's a lot of fun.

Of course, talked about this with my coach. He has two, as well. When you lose a tough match, of course it's going to stay in your head. I had a rough year last year. But when you come back home, you have two daughters, it's such a good feeling. You are like, You know what, okay, I will try to do better next time, but at least I'm home earlier, something like this. You always try to find positives.

In terms of the tennis team, the new team, we have a lot of fun. It works great. We are working hard, trying our best. So far really happy with everything.

Q. On the heat, are the players confident the right protocols are in place to look after them?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I mean, you cannot do much. But especially with this heat, I would say on big courts they probably going to close the roof. But for example, I'm a little bit let's say going too far. When you come on a big court, the sun is very high around 12. Then you have the things that move when you come in, so they give you shade.

The problem is that unless you put like 10 towels on your bags, they get so hot because the thing is off for people to see the match. I think maybe there is tiny bit of things to do there.

What happens is when you sit, whatever you touch around is brutally hot. You have like just 40 seconds on the chair. You don't have 20 seconds to look around. Maybe a little bit there.

But look, we sometimes play in these conditions. Some guys retire. Some guys cramp. It's going to happen again not only in Australia. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Q. Last year when you played Learner, obviously he surprised you, but you've had the opportunity to play him two more times. What is it about his game over the course of the times you've played him that you really respect?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I would say it's going to sound a little bit easy, but the baseline game. His serve, even if for sure he's going to improve, and can he serve well, but it's not like Mpetshi Perricard serve. You can return it.

With all this being so young, not yet experienced on tour, to he made top 30 last year. It's unbelievable because he can play really, really good from the baseline.

As I say, let's put it this way, I didn't enjoy our matches last year in terms of how tough it was, and he beat me two times in brutal matches. But I beat him last time.

So now I know who he is. I know how he plays. He knows how I play. We pretty much know what we are going to do already. I'm going to really try to enjoy playing against a very strong opponent that is probably going to be very good in the future.