Medvedev tries to see bright side, hopes Australian Open loss doesn’t impact season

Daniil Medvedev could have become the first player to win four five-set matches on the way to a Grand Slam title.

Instead, Medvedev entered a much different history book.

Medvedev is the first player ever to lose two different Grand Slam finals from two sets up after falling to Jannik Sinner 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the Australian Open title match on Sunday night. The Russian also led Rafael Nadal two sets to love in the 2022 final at Melbourne Park only to succumb 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.

Medvedev’s improbable collapse against Nadal negatively impacted the remainder of his 2022 campaign. Ranked No. 2 at the time and peaking at No. 1 in the world a month later, Medvedev ended the season at No. 7. After leaving Melbourne, he went five tournaments without reaching another final and eight before winning a title. He didn’t get past the fourth round of his next two majors (Russians were banned from Wimbledon in 2022) and failed to reach the final of any Masters 1000 event.

“I felt really bad after [the loss to Rafa],” Medvedev reflected. “I don’t know how I’m going to feel in one week or in one month, because sometimes the deception comes after–and, like after Rafa’s loss (was it the reason or not?) I had my worst season.”

The 27-year-old hopes that isn’t the case following his latest near-miss at a Grand Slam.

“(It’s a) different feeling; different circumstances, I would say,” he explained. “Now I’m dreaming more than ever…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…. I don’t know what’s happening next, but I’m really going to try to keep the mentality that I go for next Grand Slam (to win it).”

Medvedev could hardly have come closer to winning this one, but at the same he was just as close to bowing out much earlier in the tournament. The No. 3 seed came back from two sets down in the second round against Emil Ruusuvuori and did the same against Alexander Zverev in the semis. He also survived a five-setter against Hubert Hurkacz in the quarters. As if that wasn’t enough, Medvedev had a tough opening match on his hands against Terence Atmane in which both players struggled physically (Atmane eventually retired in the fourth set).

“Two or three minutes before my opponent cramped, I said to my team, ‘I’m starting to cramp,'” Medvedev reflected. “I felt like in five minutes I’m done; like, I cannot move. One minute later I go to return, my team is in panic. They look at me. I look at [Atmane] and he starts cramping. I’m like, ‘wow.’ I could have lost in the first round. If he would have been stronger physically, probably he he would have beat me.

“I say all of this to say that I could have lost in the first round. [I ended up] in the final. I’m happy, and I’m looking forward.”

Even if Medvedev does look back every now and then, he can’t be too upset. Unlike the case against Nadal, he by no means choked against Sinner. He was simply the less physically fit player and was facing the hottest player on tour. Sinner had defeated Novak Djokovic three times in the past three months– including in the Aussie Open semis–while also leading Italy to the 2023 Davis Cup title. The 22-year-old was just too good over the final three sets on Sunday.

“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,” Medvedev explained. “I didn’t really [make] bad mistakes. I think what happened is he started to play better, a little bit different tactically.

“I got a little tired physically, but like every other match before, my opponents didn’t manage to take advantage of it or they became tired. Jannik didn’t really, because in the fifth set 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.”

It was a roller-coaster of a fortnight for Medvedev. He did everything except win the title.

“It’s very tough to lose in the final,” he admitted. “It kind of hurts more maybe than to lose in the semis or quarters. But you have to try to find positives, and the positive is, well, the final is better than the semifinal and quarters. That’s the only thing I can say.”