Medvedev – people will look back and marvel at Djokovic’s achievements

The question of whether or not Novak Djokovic gets the credit he deserves for all the mind-blowing achievements the world-beating Serb has racked up over the course of his career was put to Daniil Medvedev after the Russian fell to Djokovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Sunday’s Rolex Paris Masters Final.

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The Russian, a frequent training partner and good friend of Djokovic’s, told reporters that the world would one day look back in amazement at the sheer breadth of Djokovic’s body of work.

Haters are not real fans

Medvedev agreed with the reporter and admitted that he has sensed an unfair bias against Djokovic, but he feels that gradually things are changing in that regard.

“I think this is unfair, because it’s tough for me to talk to other people, but I see what you mean because I feel it sometimes,” he said. “I also have the feeling though that people are starting more and more to, let’s say, I don’t even say respect him, but respect what he has done in tennis more and more, because, well, he continues to beat the records.

“Only this year he beat the records for being No 1 for many weeks, 310 it was, and now it’s much more. He got to 20 slams, almost done a calendar Slam.”

Medvedev adds that even at the age of 34, with 345 weeks at No 1 and 20 major singles titles to his name, there is the feeling that he will not be stopped from achieving many more records.

“I feel like unless they are real haters, which are not real fans, people are starting to see what he’s done and [they are starting] to see that he’s able to do more, which we can never know, that’s why we like tennis, but which he can do more.”

Only this year he beat the records for being No 1 for many weeks, 310 it was, and now it’s much more. He got to 20 Slams, almost done a calendar Slam.

Daniil Medvedev on Novak Djokovic

People are going to start to understand Djokovic’s greatness – they will see him everywhere

If people haven’t already begun to appreciate the essence of Novak Djokovic, don’t worry says Medvedev, it’s just a matter of time.

“I think that maybe it’s also sometimes, ten years after he retires, because there is gonna be some people who will start watching tennis – just like me, I didn’t see Sampras play, I was too young but I heard he was amazing – it’s going to be the same. There are going to be new people coming to tennis who are just going to read on Wikipedia or whatever what were the results, who was the World No 1 for most weeks, for most times in the end, and they are going to see Novak everywhere.

“That’s when people are going to start to understand, Okay, that’s amazing what he has done.”