Daniil Medvedev clay court season made him ‘sick, depressed’

1. Daniil Medvedev clay court season previously put him in a depressive state, he has opened up
2. Hard courts are his forte as they have a lesser bounce than grass or clay meaning a tennis ball travels faster
3. Medvedev’s flat, heavy groundstrokes and powerful serve are lethal on hard courts

Daniil Medvedev clay court season previously put him in a depressive state, he has opened up.

Hard courts are his forte as they have a lesser bounce than grass or clay meaning a tennis ball travels faster. Medvedev’s flat, heavy groundstrokes and powerful serve are lethal in hard courts and he has 18 of his 20 tour-level victories coming on hard courts.

Compared to the dynamics of clay courts, he always felt like an amateur every time he played at Roland Garros.

Daniil Medvedev Clay Court Season Stress

The high bounce and slow ball speed greatly affected his performance for a long time. He couldn’t serve his powerful groundstrokes and he would leave most clay tournaments earlier.

But after making his debut on clay court in 2023, things have clearly changed for him and he is now more in love with the surface.

Daniil Medvedev. Photo/Tennis Majors

During his matches in the past, Medvedev would often communicate his unhappiness and dissatisfaction with the clay surface in a very blunt manner.

The former world No. 1 made no secret of the fact that he detested and preferred playing on hard surfaces.

However, Medvedev in 2023, won 10 matches for the first time in his career during a clay season.  The 28-year-old Russian not only won his maiden clay championship in style at the Rome Masters, but also became the first player to hit ten consecutive wins on the main tour.

He says that he had tried to ‘like’ the surface before but he always lost in the early stages and it left him feeling depressed.

“Like, two, three years ago it was always the same before the clay (season), like, ‘OK, let’s go,’ motivation, excited and then I come on clay and then I’m like a little depressed for a couple of days and then I tried to handle this,” he said ahead of Monte Carlo Masters.

However, things are now different, and Medvedev is excited to start his clay season at the Monte Carlo Masters this week.

“Now this year, it’s just like, ‘OK, it’s a change of surface; for sure you need to adapt your game and adapt your mentality some shots.’ But I’m trying to do my best and looking forward to the tournament,” he added.

Will Daniil Medvedev Win in Monte Carlo Open?

Being a clay surface, he is optimistic that he will perform well, especially with his changed mindset about this surface.

Moreover, he feels hopeful of victory with the addition of Gilles Simon to his coaching team. Simon is a former tennis player ranked world No.6 by the time of retiring with 14 ATP victories.

Daniil Medvedev. Photo/Tennis Majors

He won a record six clay-court titles in his days as a tennis player. Medvedev is now content to have someone like Simon take him through another phase of his tennis career.

The 39-year-old Frenchman has a huge task of helping the Russian tennis star bag another title in Monte Carlo. Although Simon will not be in Monte Carlo, he has had plenty of practice hours with Medvedev.

Weighing in on this, Medvedev is aware of what he needs to work on in Monte Carlo and says it as it is.

“It is me who plays on the court, so it is me who is the most important with execution and we just try to discuss some shots on clay which could be better. Some positions and tactical moments. It is not something crazy but small details and that is how it works in tennis. So far it is working well.”

The world No. 4 will get a first-round bye in Monte Carlo and he is likely to face off with Gael Monfils in the opening round of the tournament. Monfils plays Jordan Thompson in the opening round.

Monfils and Medvedev have a history going back to 2016 when he [Monfils] defeated the Russian tennis star.

In the Monte Carlo round of 16, it is anticipated that Medvedev will face world No. 15 Karen Khachanov, and in the semifinal, he will likely face fifth-seeded Alexander Zverev.

If Medvedev and second seed Jannik Sinner meet in the Monte Carlo quarterfinal on Saturday, it might result in a repetition of the 2024 Australian Open final

Should Medvedev go to the championship match, he might face either Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic.