Daniil Medvedev. You remember him from a couple years ago, right? The lanky, 6-foot-6 Russian having the run of his life? He had a brief foray, we’ll call it, with the Queens crowd but, from there, things went swimmingly well.
Back then, Medvedev needed a few introductory remarks, as he wasn't yet a household name in Flushing Meadows. The Russian hadn’t reached a major quarterfinal, and weeks earlier, he had just broken into the top 10 for the first time.
But now? The world No. 2 possesses the best chance of anyone of derailing Novak Djokovic’s quest to become only the second man in the Open Era to win the calendar-year Grand Slam (Rod Laver, 1969).
No one has been better on hard courts during the past year than Medvedev, and, after two runner-up showings in major finals, the Russian is antsy to take home his first title – be it against Djokovic or whomever is waiting on that second Sunday.
“I want to win the US Open. I don't care if it's in the final against a qualifier or against Novak. I just want to win this tournament,” Medvedev said.
Such expectations have become the norm for Medvedev, who, coming into the 2019 US Open, had reached only one second week of a major championship and simply wanted to advance to the quarterfinals. Yet he ended up pushing Rafael Nadal to five sets in the final and earning the respect of the New York crowds after his choice gesture in the third round.
“Definitely a lot more expectations than before,” said Medvedev, who’s hoping fans remember the final part of his 2019 stay more so than the middle.
“I love a New York crowd. It was amazing experience in 2019 in every aspect. I'm just curious to see what it's going to be like again on my first match. I'm going to try just the best I can to show a good level of tennis and by this way to make fans support me.”
He’s given them plenty of reasons on court. Medvedev reached the 2021 Australian Open final (loss to Djokovic) and won the biggest title of his career at the 2020 ATP Finals. He’s also won three more Masters 1000 events since falling to Nadal in the 2019 final.
Medvedev also became the first player to be ranked No. 2 not named Djokovic, Nadal, Roger Federer or Andy Murray since July 18, 2005.
“It's hard to disrupt him, hard to hurt him,” said American Reilly Opelka, who fell to Medvedev in straight sets in the Toronto final weeks ago. “There's not many answers when he's on like he was today.”
Few players have had answers for Medvedev, and especially not on hard courts. During the past 52 weeks, he’s won 85 percent of his hard-court matches (46-8), a stretch that includes a win against Djokovic at last year’s year-end finals in London. Eleven of Medvedev’s 12 tour-level titles have come on the surface as well.
“When I play on hard, that's where I feel the most comfortable and confident. I can still lose matches, I don't win every tournament I play, that's completely normal. But that's where I enjoy myself the most,” Medvedev said.
Should the final of this hard-court major come down to the top two seeds, Medvedev will have his chances. No top 5 seed at the Open has a better winning percentage against the world No. 1.
The Russian is 3-5 against Djokovic, but has won three of their past five meetings.
“We're going to try to get him. Of course, this competition to be the first one of these young guys to win a Slam is, I think, yeah, everybody wants to do it, but there's going to be only one who makes it,” Medvedev said.
If the Russian can do that during the next two weeks, never again will he need an introduction.
