Medvedev: Tennis Drives People Crazy

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday August 29, 2023

Major tennis is a maddening experience, says Daniil Medvedev.

The third-seeded Medvedev made quick work of Hungarian Attila Balazs 6-1, 6-1, 6-0 in a 74-minute US Open opening-round annihilation.

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Afterward Medvedev expounded on why tennis drives players crazy.

Daily frustration of trying to play your best tennis can drive players nuts, Medvedev said. 

“I would generally think that tennis drives people crazy,” Medvedev told the media. “When I say “people,” tennis players, drive themselves crazy. In my opinion, mostly because there are days, even let’s say practice, it’s the same in the matches, but practice days where you come on the court, you know, you warm up a little bit. You’re, like, Wow, I’m feeling great. The forehand is going where I want. The backhand is there. Can even do a dropshot or maybe a slice from time to time. Everything feels well.

“Then there is going to be days you slept well, you wake up well. You can’t hit the ball in the court. You get frustrated, because then at one moment when you miss maybe 10, let’s say, you’re gonna be starting looking at your coach, like, So what’s happening? It happens to me, let’s say, I miss a forehand long, so usually when you miss long, you have to cover the ball a little bit more so it goes in the court.

The 2021 US Open champion said that unpredictability can be infuriating.

“Sometimes you think you did it, and then you ask your coach, Well, I did it? What happened?” Medvedev said. “Then there goes you argue, you talk and stuff like this, so I would think it’s because of this, yeah.”

Winning one of the quickest three-setters of his career, Medvedev ran his 2023 record to 50-11, including a 33-5 mark on his preferred hard courts.

Next up for Medvedev is a second-round clash vs. 69th-ranked Aussie Christopher O’Connell.

Since 2018, Medvedev has won more hard-court titles (18) than any other man on the ATP Tour. Medvedev says he’s pumped up to continue competing on Grand Slam tennis’ biggest stage, Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“A lot of great matches, and I remember last year against Nick, playing someone like Nick in New York, I don’t think there is going to be much players on tour where the crowd is going to be, like, 50/50, something like this,” Medvedev said. “That’s how I felt. The crowd was going for both of us, depending on the moment of the match. That…