Medvedev fears Nadal - VnExpress Sports

According to world number three Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal's return will pose a major challenge to players on the ATP Tour next season.

"It's always very difficult to beat Nadal," Medvedev said in an interview after winning the World Tennis League team championship in Abu Dhabi on December 24. "For me, matches against Nadal end worse than matches against Djokovic, in a certain respect."

Nadal and Medvedev at the 2022 Australian Open awards ceremony, where the Spaniard won 2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 after 5 hours of play. Photo: ATP

Medvedev lost to Nadal in the 2022 Australian Open final despite winning two sets. The Russian player admitted he didn't know what form his senior opponent was in, but praised Nadal's experience and spirit. He said: "Nadal seems to be back in pretty good shape, and that's great for tennis."

Along with Nadal, Medvedev believes the competition in the 2024 season will be even fierfier as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner mature. "I dropped out of the top 10 last season, so you can imagine how fierce the ATP Tour is," the 27-year-old said. "At the start of the season, Tsitsipas reached the Australian Open final. He and a few other players could come back and beat me or anyone else."

Medvedev won five titles in the 2023 season but failed to win his second Grand Slam title, losing to Novak Djokovic at the US Open. Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud were two other opponents of Nole in Grand Slam finals last season. Alcaraz is the only player to have beaten Djokovic in four major tournaments, defeating him in the Wimbledon final.

"I want to continue to explore my limits," Medvedev added. "I will try to train hard and overcome the periods of physical and mental fatigue at the end of the season."

Vy Anh

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