ROLAND GARROS

May 22, 2026

Daniil Medvedev

Press Conference

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Is Medvedev.

THE MODERATOR: You're coming from a strong tournament in Rome. How do you feel?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I feel great. Tournament both in Madrid and Rome, I like to put them together, were good. In terms of results, of course Rome was better, but in terms of game, both of them I played good, some good clay court tennis.

Looking forward to Roland Garros. Not always my best tournament, but I did manage to get couple of good results here and there. That's what I'm going to try to do again this year, try to push for a better result.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You gave Jannik Sinner his toughest test he's had in quite a long time. A big question in this men's tournament is can anyone beat him, and if so, how? How would you sort of educate the field on how to challenge Jannik Sinner to make it at least close for him? It's been very rare that he's even been in any trouble.

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, it's super tough. Actually, any match that we saw even this year, because I think he lost only two, the only way to beat him, you need to be at your best for all, if I wanted to say three sets here, maybe even four, five sets, you need to run, be strong, to serve well, to return well.

Like everything needs to be on the top level, because him, his game is everything at the top level. So that's the only thing, and that's what I managed to do in Rome, especially in the second set. Third set I had one sloppy game on my serve, and I lost with one break.

He's a very, very tough player, tough opponent. But I always say sports is sports. So he can lose. There's a big chance if he plays like he plays now that he can win the whole thing, but every round someone is going to be on the other side of the court from him and try his best to beat him.

So if I'm there, I'm actually in a way happy because it's only in semis, I think. I'm going to try, as well.

Q. Another question on that topic. You're someone who loves that backhand-to-backhand rally. He's pretty good at it to. What's it like to be in one of those exchanges with him? What's going on in your head when you're in one of those exchanges, compared with when you're doing it against another player who may not enjoy it as much as he does and you do?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think if we compare it to any other player, the difference is that Jannik can any moment decide kind of to, let's call it, step up and, for example, go down the line. But not many players can do the backhand down the line and do it every time almost as winner.

He can. He can do it, like, for three sets, step up, down the line, strong shot, and then he's super fast to cover the forehand side. If you go -- how you call it in English, if you try to wrong-foot him, to go on his backhand, he basically doesn't wrong-foot, so he's there.

It's just not easy to play him, but at the same time, I have to say I enjoy it. Like I had some really good matches against him, even the ones I lost, and it's like a tough challenge, which always I will always try to win.

I know that I lost many matches against him lately, but some of them were pretty close, and I'm, like, okay, next time I really have to do even a bit better and get him. That's what I'm going to try to do.

Q. I saw on Sunday you are part of the player protest today, right? Jessica Pegula was just in here and asking players to do less media is quite an easy thing to do. There was obviously talks about boycotts, but in general, do you think players would be willing to do things that hurt themselves, things where they have to sacrifice in order to achieve these aims? An example is that you could have chosen not to do media at all today and dare Roland Garros to take the fine. Do you think players would be willing to do that?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Tough question, because a lot of things inside. I think at the moment, you know what we want as players, and it's good, because probably the first time, at least in my span on the tour, where players are kind of really united with someone, I would say, following the players' voice, which there is someone.

And we don't want to hurt ourselves. We don't want to hurt anyone. We just want, you know, a discussion with the slams, which we feel like they are maybe not wanting enough to discuss. We are trying some steps to have this discussion, and that's it.

I don't think what we are doing is really bad, because it's a one-time thing to see how it goes, and I think there is some progress, especially since Jannik words in Rome and stuff like this. So we are just trying to be heard and to be heard by exactly at the Grand Slams.

Q. How much of a difference does it make going into a tournament like this without Carlos? Obviously, I know you beat him earlier this year, but he and Jannik have been so dominant, but having one compared to two, how much does that change your kind of frame of mind?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I'll be honest, for me, doesn't make a difference, because it's Roland Garros. I have never been in the semis here. I take it a match at a time.

Of course, you know, if I'm in semis, and I play Jannik and maybe, you know, that Carlos is not there on the other side, you're like, okay, maybe it's kind of an easier challenge to try to win the whole thing, but at the moment we're not there. I'm playing my first round, which I lost probably six times at Roland Garros. I just want to do my best, try to go further through the draw.

Jannik here or not there, it doesn't change much my approach to the tournament. As I say, maybe if I'm in the semis or final, then I could actually answer the same question and say, yeah, you know what, he's not here, so it might be easier to win the whole thing.

But in general, I'd say I hope he comes fast. Fast, I mean, we know he's not playing Wimbledon, so I hope he comes back as fast as possible with what he has, I'm not sure what he has, because we love to see him both in the locker room and on court, as well.

Q. Novak is not part of these last conversations with the protest and stuff. How much does it hurt you guys to have someone like Novak, who kind of has been a leader in a lot of these off-court conversations, not be part of this particular phase when you feel you're really trying to put pressure?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: I think it's not a problem, because I always said, first of all, and this is part of this, as well, is everyone can make their own decisions, and that's great. When you can make your own decisions, it's the best thing in life.

Novak is experienced enough, mature enough, to know what he wants to do and doesn't want to do, and he was always super proactive for the players in different movements, different things. So I don't think it hurts the message itself because I don't know if he did Media Day already, but probably once he will or when he did, if he gets kind of asked about us, he would say that he supports us, just not with exactly this media thing.

So again, full support to Novak, and I'm sure he supports all the players and everyone around.

Q. Carlos Alcaraz is not playing the two biggest summer Grand Slams of the year. How much of a threat to the game is the power in the game that is injuring players and taking out the draw cards? Dominic Thiem is no longer playing because his career was injured with a wrist injury, del Potro. Do you see that as a danger to the sport? Can anything be done about reducing the physicality?

DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Super tough question, because everyone has a different story. So it's so tough. I don't know, Carlos, like, did it happen during the match, out of the court? We actually, I don't think we know we know exactly what happened, so it's super tough to say.

I think I can only talk more in general that of course if somehow we managed to find the way like most of other sports to make this season, even if it's two weeks or one month shorter, like this for us, to be more free to choose. If someone wants to -- after the season, maybe someone wants to take three weeks off, now it's not possible. If you play in Turin especially, you take three weeks off, you basically sacrifice Australian Open, and no one wants to sacrifice a slam.

So if there is a way to find a decision, which is not going to be done in probably next five years but maybe in ten years to make the season shorter, I think this could help a lot of players in general. And actually even talking longer, I'm pretty sure that even if it means, let's say, getting less money, because there is less tournaments, I'm pretty sure most of the players would agree. That's the talk in the locker room, but again, it's a long discussion. It's the only thing where I could see maybe it could reduce some injuries.