Medvedev wants to avoid the same mistake in 2022

Australia's Daniil Medvedev doesn't want his defeat in the 2024 Australian Open final to affect his form for the rest of the year, as happened in 2022.

On January 28, Medvedev became the first male player to lose two Grand Slam finals after winning two sets. He lost 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 3-6 to Jannik Sinner and missed out on another title at the Australian Open. Two years ago, also in Melbourne, Medvedev lost 2-3 to Rafael Nadal in the final despite winning the first two sets easily and having three break points in the third set.

After losing to Nadal, Medvedev slipped for much of 2022, winning just 45 matches all season - the fewest in his last five full seasons. At the time, he said that the loss in the 2022 Australian Open final made "the kid stop dreaming".

"The circumstances and emotions are very different this time," Medvedev said, comparing this year's defeat to 2022. "Now I have more dreams than ever, not only today but also in life. I am no longer a dreamy child, but a 27-year-old man who does everything for the present and the future. That's why I reached the final and almost won."

Medvedev at a press conference after the 2024 Australian Open final against Sinner, in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: NewsAU — Medvedev at a press conference after the 2024 Australian Open final against Sinner, in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: *NewsAU*

In the final on January 28, Medvedev won the first two sets convincingly, but Sinner started to rise strongly from the third set. After using all his strength in the first and second sets, Medvedev continued to play weaker and weaker. His serve weakened and he could not compete with his junior. Having to play for six more hours than Sinner from the beginning of the tournament, Medvedev could not compete with his opponent in the final and lost. Despite the bitter defeat, Medvedev still saw positive things after the tournament.

"I improved my level and became a different person, more stable," Medvedev added. "I really tried to make everything possible for myself. This defeat will not affect the upcoming tournaments."

In six Grand Slam finals, Medvedev has won just one and lost five, including two defeats to Nadal, two to Novak Djokovic and one to Sinner. The main reason for the loss to Sinner was his lack of fitness. Medvedev played a total of 31 sets at the Australian Open - a record for a player at a Grand Slam in the Open Era. He played four five-set matches, including two where he had to come back from 0-2 down, one of which ended at 3:40 a.m. (against Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round).

"Five-set matches are always tough on the body," the Russian said. "After the five-set semi-final against Zverev, I woke up the next day wondering how I could move in the final with this body. After the first two sets of the final, my energy dropped because I didn't have a perfect sleep. It was my fault for not winning the previous rounds quicker, but sometimes it's hard to do that."

Medvedev tired at the end of the final match with Sinner. Photo: Reuters — Medvedev tired at the end of the final match with Sinner. Photo: *Reuters*

Medvedev did not want to blame his fitness because he had won many matches in such circumstances. The Russian said that Sinner was both good and energetic in the final. He knew his opponent was very strong so he changed his tactics from the beginning of the match. That helped Medvedev win the first two sets, but not enough to win the match.

"I know I'm not capable of competing with Sinner in this condition," Medvedev added. "So I try to finish the ball as quickly as possible. I think I played well. If I was 100% fit, maybe my coach and I would have decided to compete with Sinner until the end."

Vy Anh

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