“I’m dreaming more than ever” – Proud Medvedev defeated but not disheartened

Daniil Medvedev leaves Melbourne proud of himself, he told reporters

Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, Australian Open 2024 – © Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/AP/SIPA

Carrie Dunn

January 28, 2024

Australian Open •Final • completed

See draw

J. SinnervsD. Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev cut an impressive figure in his press conference after losing to Jannik Sinner in the 2024 Australian Open. Two years after he allowed a two-set lead to slip against Rafael Nadal, he did the same against the Italian – but he told reporters that it was an entirely different situation and the similarity had not crossed his mind.

“Different feeling, different circumstances, I would say,” he told journalists. “Now I’m dreaming more than ever, probably not today, but in general in life.

“But I would say it’s not anymore a kid who is dreaming. It’s me myself right now, a 27-year-old who is dreaming, and who’s doing everything that is possible for my future and for my present. I love it. That’s why I made it to the final. I wanted to win. I was close. Was I really close or not? Tough to say, but was not far.”

Medvedev: I am proud of myself

Talking about the match itself, he reflected: “I didn’t think much about Rafa match, because I really tried to leave it behind, so I don’t think it had any issues. Otherwise there would be many, many matches during the season where I would lose. And today, again, I didn’t feel like suddenly when I was two sets to love up I stopped playing and let’s say went behind the baseline and started doing like lobs. I didn’t really do bad mistakes. I think what happened is he started to play better, a little bit different tactically, because I propose him something different in the beginning of the match, which was very aggressive.

“I got a little tired physically, but like every other match before, just every other match before, my opponents didn’t manage to take advantage of it or them also, they became tired. Jannik didn’t really, because in the fifth set I was, like every other match, I was trying to be proud of myself, and I am. 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.

“And there were some points in the end where he was not — I mean, adrenaline going, but he didn’t seem as tired as my opponents before. He started playing better. I got a little bit tired. Serve went a little bit worse. So the momentum changed and I really tried in my mind to change it back again, because that’s what tennis is about.

“But I didn’t manage to do it, and that’s why he’s the winner and has the trophy.”