“I am a hard court specialist,” Daniil Medvedev told the head judge for his match against Jannik Sinner in the 2023 Miami Open grand final as he sat down to rest and drink some water after the first set. It wouldn’t take long for him to show, this time to the whole world, that he indeed has expertise in this type of court by becoming the champion of said Masters 1000.
The Russian Medvedev was forceful in the final battle against the Italian Sinner, defeating him 7-5, 6-3 in a span of one hour and 35 minutes. With this he won the first Miami Open crown (his best performances of his had been the quarterfinals in 2021 and 2022) and also consolidated a great start to the season with four titles in three months, adding the ATP 500 from Rotterdam and Dubai, as well as the 250 from Qatar.
“I am very happy, this is the best start to the season I have had. I won a lot of points, it’s a pity that there haven’t been any Grand Slams in this period (between January and March), but I’m super happy and excited about what’s to come”, reflected Medvedev after the euphoria in Miami and being aware of the challenge it represents for him. the start of the clay season.
The statistics are accurate: Daniel Medvedev He has 19 ATP singles titles and 94% of them have been on hard courts, since the only different one was the 2021 Mallorca Open crown on grass.
The Russian has played a total of 32 finals in the ATP Tour from levels 250 to the Grand Slams and of these 28 (87.5%) have been on a hard surface (hard court), three more on grass and just one on clay, which was the defeat of the Barcelona Open 2019 against Dominic Thiem. That is why the arrival of the clay season from April means a wall that has yet to be broken down.
“I love hard courts, I love playing on them. If I had a choice, it would only be played on hard courts, but I fully understand that’s not fair. Although I know that I can do well on grass and clay, on the hard court is where I feel more fluid because I can win games without playing at my best level and that is a big difference”, added the new champion of the Miami Open.
Medvedev had a dream 2023 in terms of the United States Masters, since in Indian Wells he was a finalist and achieved his first star in Miami. In previous years, he had only reached the fourth round and quarterfinals, respectively, but now he has won victories against exponent challengers such as Frances Tiafoe, Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov. His only loss in the month of competition on American soil was against Carlos Alcaraz (in the Indian Wells final).
His list of 28 finals played on hard courts includes all of Masters 1000, Grand Slams and the ATP Finals, that is, the most important tournaments on the circuit. That is a merit that he only shares with the most recent members of the Big Four of tennis: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Specifically in terms of Masters 1000, Medvedev adds the crowns of Miami, Canada, Paris, Shanghai and Cincinnati, although this is his first final won since August 2021, when he defeated Reilly Opelka on Canadian soil.
“I’m not afraid of winning, but I get a little more nervous when serving. I have managed to work hard, confidence is the key. Last year I wasn’t too consistent in different tournaments, but in 2023 I’ve gotten better with each event”.
As a result of his title in Miami, in addition to pocketing 1.26 million dollars, Medvedev will rise to fourth place in the ATP world ranking, displacing the Norwegian Casper Ruud. The Russian holds a record of 25 wins for only 1 loss so far in 2023 and will seek to continue the inertia in tournaments such as Monte Carlo and Roland Garros.
The ATP ranking also suffered a change at the top, since after the defeat of the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the Miami Open, the world number 1 returned to the hands of the Serb Novak Djokovicwho after missing the United States Masters due to sanitary restrictions in that country will try to resume the winning path at the start of the clay season.
Medvedev’s records after the Miami 2023 title
- 19 ATP Tour titles, all in different cities (only player with that record).
- 28 finals played on hard courts, including all Masters 1000, Grand Slams and Finals (tied with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray).
- 94% of their titles have been on hard courts (with the exception of 1 on grass).
- 5 Masters 1000 titles in his career: Miami, Canada, Paris, Shanghai and Cincinnati.
- 4th place in the world ranking thanks to his good start to the season, in which he has 25 wins for only 1 loss.
Source: ATP
