Take One Painkiller, Go Play

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, March 14, 2023

A hobbled Daniil Medvedev has a three point prescription to play the Indian Wells quarterfinals on a twisted ankle.

Tape. Painkiller. Play.

More: Medvedev Edges Zverev in Thriller

Crashing to the court after rolling his right ankle in the second set, Medvedev gritted his teeth and held his nerve fending off Alexander Zverev 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 7-5 in a dramatic comeback win on stadium 1.

It was Medvedev’s 17th straight victory propelling him into his first Indian Wells quarterfinal.

The question is: Can Medvedev recover to play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in tomorrow’s quarterfinals? 

“Now that I have cooled down, it’s big. I cannot walk properly,” Medvedev told the media in Indian Wells. “But if everything is going to be fine, I’m gonna tape it tomorrow, take one painkiller, and go to play.

“So not much more to add for the moment. Pretty painful, but nothing too bad hopefully.”

The fifth-seeded Medvedev said physios have told him as long as he tapes the ankle to stabilize it he won’t run the risk of severe damage though managing the injury on court can be a question of pain tolerance, too.

“Basically apparently comes to supporting the pain. If you don’t support it anymore and it’s too much, you retire,” Medvedev said. “If you can support it, nothing gonna be worse. So I trust them.

“Yeah, that’s how I am. I’m not a doctor, so I have to trust other people.”

If you’re wondering why a man who covers the court as comprehensively as Medvedev doesn’t tape his ankles prior to matches as so many veterans do, he says there’s one reason: He hadn’t rolled his ankle before.

“I’ve never really rolled it,” Medvedev said. “I remember rolling it few times on the futures, so it was not ATP physios who were taping it. It was long ago, so I didn’t know — that’s why I ask so many questions to the physio.”

Continuing his quest for a fourth consecutive title—if his gimpy ankle permits him to play—Medvedev said he will be sporting a new look tomorrow. Ankle tape that he’s planning to wear for the foreseeable future.

“Now, yeah, for some time I’m, for sure, going to need to tape it because the ankle becomes looser so if you don’t tape it you’re just going to roll it over and over and over until you break it,” Medvedev said. “Yeah, gonna tape it for a couple of weeks, days, and hopefully can play tomorrow.”

Photo credit: Harry How/Getty