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Daniil Medvedev won the last title of 2020 at the ATP Finals in London. The Russian has more than confirmed his outstanding preseason.
by Jörg Allmeroth
Last edit: Nov 23, 2020 at 11:13 a.m.
© Getty Images
At the somewhat sad end of eleven years of the World Cup in London, perhaps it was the right setting. Daniil Medvedevs, the man who was promoted to the 2020 ATP champion in the bleak haunted house of the O2 Arena on Sunday night, did not move the slightest expression in the moment of his biggest triumph of his career. A victory without jubilation, excitement or joy. A great moment on a great stage without much emotion, it was exactly as the strange Russian had imagined. “Everyone does something special when they win,” Medvedev said after his 4: 6, 7: 6 (7: 2), 6: 4 win over Austrian favorite Dominic Thiem, “what’s special about me is that I don’t celebrate. So the owl approached the net, more somber than gloomy, received Thiem’s congratulations and then first wrote some short messages on his mobile phone.
Medvedev (nickname “Bear”) would have had every reason to celebrate after the last seven days of tennis this crazy, creepy and weird season. What was already indicated by the soft opening victory in the preliminary round against Alexander Zverev became the continuation of the largest ATP tournament without fans: the 24-year-old Muscovite was the man all roads to the title passed through. Ultimately, however, no one was able to bring the resistance and defense artist to his knees. In the end, the idiosyncratic Medvedev even managed the feat of beating the top three players in the ranking with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Thiem, a first in World Cup history. And difficult for the world champion Medvedev himself to understand: “I’m not sure if I will be able to do something like this again in my life.”
More like an extra during Corona’s break
For a long time, Medvedev was one of those actors who seemed lost and easily disoriented in the crown pandemic. Until well into the fall, the Russian was above all an extra on the tour scene, most convincingly his semi-final at the US Open. Rather, he withdrew from the French Open, which had been postponed to late September / early October, in the first round. His final offense was even more remarkable. In the Masters victory in Paris and now in London he remained undefeated, winning seven times against the competition of the top ten. Time and again he was saved from a distressing situation, about to leave. “One thing Medvedev has above all: good nerves,” noted former world number one Jim Courier on the US “Tennis Channel.”
However, Medvedev had already proven his strong psyche 15 months ago when he first made himself known to the tennis world. At the US Open, he not only messed with his opponents, but also with the dreaded New York audience. The rough-legged fans whistled at the Russian after he even showed them the middle finger. But at some point, after legendary speeches and performances, they took him to heart as a beloved villain. He works hard to become “a good person” on the field, Medvedev said after the final loss to Nadal, “next to the field I am anyway.” Some also thought of Medvedev’s youthful sins, like an incident at Wimbledon. There, annoyed, he once threw a bunch of coins in front of a referee’s nose and was severely punished for it.
Medvedev with many tactical options
Medvedev’s unpredictable nature is reflected in his game. Bottom line: you never know what the 24-year-old will evoke from his bat in the next moment. He often changes his basic tactical orientation several times in a game, from advancing to the defensive stronghold and vice versa. While others put on a veritable preparatory show before their services, Medvedev stands up and shoots the next moment. It is not uncommon for his service games to last less than a minute, sometimes with four aces in a row. “For me, many things are possible,” says Medvedev. And nothing impossible.
Medvedev will have a say in the coming years when it comes to the distribution of power in world tennis, the legacy of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Thiem, Zverev, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, Russian Andrej Rublev and young South Tyrolean Jannik Sinner are also in this game for the important trophies. All applicants still lack the consistency, the staying power to distinguish themselves as Crown Prince. But someone like Medvedev knows that he doesn’t have to be impatient: “I still have ten years ahead of me, at least,” he says, “I can still earn a lot in this time.”
