In-form Medvedev trying to avoid overconfidence

The Russian said he needs to take confidence from his win in Rome, but not let it stray into cockiness

Daniil Medvedev (Russia) during a training session of Roland-Garros 2023

Zuma / Panoramic

May 26, 2023

For the first time in his career, Daniil Medvedev goes into Roland-Garros feeling that he could, maybe, perhaps win the title.

Having lost in the first round four years in a row before making the quarters in 2021, he backed it up by making the last 16 in 2022. But in 2023, having won his first clay-court title in Rome, he is being talked up as a genuine title contender.

Daniil Medvedev hitting in Paris 🎾

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It’s a feeling that sits a little uneasily.

“I don’t know,” he said, asked if he felt he can win. “Because I also don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, in a way.

“What happened in Rome was amazing, especially beating a lot of good players, you know: (Alexander) Zverev, (Stefanos) Tsitsipas, (Holger) Rune, (Bernabe) Zapata Miralles, (Emil) Ruusuvuori who went three sets with (Carlos) Alcaraz in Madrid.

“That’s amazing feeling, and I’m for sure maybe have more expectation than I usually had in Roland Garros. But I know that it’s also tricky and you have to kind of use this confidence, but not get cocky, if we can say, because that’s where the danger is.

“Sometimes you think, oh, well, I played so well, now it’s going to be easy. Then the first round you have problems. You can get angry and maybe lose the match. So I have been in this situation many times, and I just want to try to play good tennis here in Roland-Garros.”

Medvedev: “Maybe I’m a little less stressed”

Medvedev knows things can change from one moment to the other but says he’s practised well at Roland-Garros so far, if not quite as well as he played in Rome. The balls, which he says get big more quickly than in Rome, could be factor, but all in all, he’s where he wants to be, feeling calm.

“Maybe I’m a bit less stressed as far as playing on clay is concerned,” he said. “Now, the thing with tennis is as soon as the first match starts, it’s a new story and you don’t know what’s gonna happen, whether you’ll play well or not, whether your opponent is going to play well or not, if I’m gonna win or lose.

“For the moment, everything is okay. I’m confident. I’m going to try and apply that to the tournament, and then we’ll see what happens.”