Daniil Medvedev assesses his own level on clay this season ahead of the Italian Open

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Daniil Medvedev has endured a disappointing start to his 2026 clay-court season, which he now continues at the Italian Open.

Medvedev won the Italian Open in 2023, but he enters this year’s tournament on the back of a relatively early exit in Madrid.

The Russian lost to Flavio Cobolli in the round of 16 of the Madrid Open, having lost his opener to Matteo Berrettini at Monte Carlo.

And that was a particularly damaging defeat for Medvedev, who was stunned 6-0, 6-0 by the wildcard in just 50 minutes.

But the world number nine is upbeat ahead of another ATP Masters 1000 tournament, where he is the seventh seed.

Daniil Medvedev assesses his clay level before the Italian Open

When asked how happy he was with his Madrid response after Monte Carlo, Medvedev told the Italian Open on YouTube: “I think I played great in Madrid, and it was a great feeling.

“The match against Flavio, even if I lost, was a high-quality match.

“So it’s a lot of positives coming into Rome, trying to even improve this level and that’s where you can maybe go even further in the tournaments, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

He also shared how it feels to return as a former champion, saying: “I love coming back here. Always a special place for me for sure.

“I love the tournament. I love what they do for the players. So I’m feeling really good to be back here.”

Is Daniil Medvedev the best player in the world other than Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now?

If not, who do you consider to be ahead of him?

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Daniil Medvedev targets more perfect performances in Rome

Medvedev starts his event in the Italian capital in the second round, where he has the unenviable task of playing the winner of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tomas Machac.

It certainly won’t be an easy task to emerge victorious, nor will his aim of producing flawless performances.

Recalling what he did so well to lift the trophy in 2023, he said: “I think everything.

“That’s a bit the thing about clay, is that all your shots need to be at your best. I mean, some people no, because it depends on the style of play you have on clay.

“But for me, all of my shots need to be at the perfect timing I would say, and they were a couple of years ago. So that’s what I’m going to try to do again this year.”

It was certainly a memorable season for the Russian ace, who claimed five titles in total, the most he has achieved in any year throughout his career.

But he already boasts two successes this season, having triumphed on the outdoor hard courts of both Brisbane and Dubai.