The Montreal Open was where Daniil Medvedev reached his maiden Masters 1000 title in 2019.
It wasn’t to be at the Olympics for Daniil Medvedev as he crashed out in the last 16 to Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
After the Russian also bowed out in both doubles events, he switched his attention to the hard court season as he eyes up a second US Open title.
Having historically had a difficult relationship with the clay, Medvedev will be relieved to be back on a more stable surface and is seeded third at the Montreal Open this week.
With a stacked draw that features the returning world number one Jannik Sinner, after he was forced out of the Olympics through illness, the Russian is in need of a fast start and has already outlined how the tennis balls might help him.
Daniil Medvedev praises the tennis balls ahead of his opener in Montreal
With the Russian no stranger to voicing his concerns and firing criticism at tennis officials, he has taken a more positive approach in Canada.
Speaking to journalists ahead of the tournament, he said: “I think it’s definitely helpful for guys who have a – not a problem – but are weaker to generate power… so for me, that’s unbelievable this ball so far, I’m feeling so good.
“And it’s been, I was talking to my coach, it’s been in my opinion, 3-4 years I didn’t feel these balls on the circuit, because when I was playing challenger tour and when I just came on the ATP Tour, I remember always it was Wilson US Open were kind of the balls that were always flying and a little bit fast, and then you had some heavy ones.
“And then for example last year 2023 in my opinion it was only heavy balls, only heavy heavy balls, I had problems with my shoulder and elbow so I absolutely love these balls but, again, it’s always the same with balls – some players are going to like, some players are going to hate. I can only say I love them and I hope there are going to be more balls like this.”
With tennis balls frequently considered too heavy and occasionally blamed for players’ injuries, the tournament directors will be pleased to have avoided an unhappy Medvedev before play has even started.
Can Daniil Medvedev recreate his amazing 2019 hard court season?
The back-end of 2019 proved to be the making of Medvedev, with the Russian winning 29 of his 32 matches and reaching four finals.
Having made the final in Washington, he raced to Montreal where he also fought his way to the same stage without dropping a set, before suffering a thrashing at the hands of Rafael Nadal.
After a narrow defeat in Cincinnati, Medvedev entered the US Open as the fifth seed, with a wondrous fortnight seeing him move past Stan Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov, before he lost in the final in five sets.
With a semi-final at Wimbledon this year, Medvedev’s disappointing Olympic efforts will only make him more hungry for success on the hard courts, and with Nadal not likely to replicate his 2019 form, this one obstacle is out of the Russian’s way.
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