“Daniil went to hell and back in this tournament” – even in heartbreaking defeat, Medvedev draws rave reviews

Darren Cahill, coach of Jannik Sinner, said what we all saw over the course of the Australian Open fortnight.

“Daniil went to hell and back in this tournament,” he said on Sunday night in a press conference to commemorate Jannik Sinner’s epic 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 victory over the 27-year-old in the final on Rod Laver Arena.

Cahill, the former coach of Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Simona Halep, knows a thing about a stellar Grand Slam run, and he says that Medvedev demonstrated mind-blowing resilience in a tournament that saw him win three five-set matches and spend over 24 hours on court across seven rounds.

How extreme was Medvedev’s push for a second major title? The 24 hours and 17 minutes of tennis that Medvedev played is more than any other player has spent on court in any other major.

“What he put himself through physically. I didn’t think he was going to beat Zverev, and he was able to come through that one,” Cahill said, adding: “There’s been a couple of other matches where he was up against it, had his back against the wall, and he just continues to push himself and fights until the last point. Physically I can’t even imagine how he’s feeling. He must be hurting big-time.”

Daniil will lift more Grand Slam trophies

Sinner, who became the first Italian man to win a major singles title since 1976, and the first to ever do it at the Australian Open, agrees with Cahill.

“Daniil is an incredible player, and he showed this also today again an incredible fighter,” he said. “He spent so many hours on court. So I’m obviously sorry for him today, but for sure he will lift some more Grand Slam trophies.”

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Medvedev later said he didn’t care how much he hurt after the final. He just wanted to make himself proud and keep fighting to win a second Grand Slam title. It was an admirable effort, even in defeat.

“I was trying to be proud of myself, and I am,” Medvedev said. “I was fighting, I was running. I was, like, I will try to, if tomorrow I don’t feel my legs it doesn’t matter, I’m going to try everything I can today until the last point, and I did it.”

Cahill says that mental and physical toughness explains why Medvedev is a Grand Slam champion, and a player who is will always be a threat to add to that total in the years to come.

“Again, I give him a ton of credit not just for the way he played today but mentally just fighting until the last point,” the Aussie said. “That’s why he’s already a Grand Slam champion, that’s why he’s had many chances to win more Grand Slams, and that’s why he’s going to have many more chances.

“He’s a hell of a player, a hell of a competitor. As Jannik said in the after-match, we learn every time we step on to the court playing Daniil, because I think his tennis IQ is as good as anybody’s.”

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