Daniil Medvedev’s Madrid Open ended in disappointing circumstances last night as he was forced to withdraw from his match against Jiri Lehecka due to injury.
Medvedev began feeling pain midway through the first set, after chasing after a drop shot from Lehecka, and from that moment on he never truly recovered.
The Russian’s withdrawal was further bad news for the tournament, which has seen a spate of players have to pull out due to fitness issues.
This year’s Madrid competition has become a nightmare for big-name players, especially on the men’s side, with many forced to retire or unable to play to their maximum potential.
Italy’s Jannik Sinner was the first to withdraw before the quarter-final because of a hip injury. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz then lost to Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the last-eight clash and later admitted that he was not 100 per cent during the match, which played a big role in the eventual outcome.
Medvedev then became the third high-profile star to withdraw from the mega-event, as players look to protect themselves before Rome and Roland Garros.
Daniil Medvedev fitness update
Medvedev is still actually unaware just how severe his injury is, as it could yet be a tear in the muscle or a spasm.
But, after trying to sprint to the net at the end of the first set, the world number four decided that he did not want to take any chances, after a chat with the tournament physio.
“I felt it on a return, when he served and volleyed, and I don’t know if I felt it on the return or on the drop shot, but when I ran I tried to run faster and faster and suddenly felt my hip blocked,” he said in his post match press conference.
“I couldn’t sprint like when you strain a muscle or have a spasm. It’s very tough to know which of the two.
“Working with the physio I asked him if I could make it worse. He said if it’s a tear, yes, if it’s a spasm, no. So I tried to play but my mind was not letting me go full, so at the end of the set I was like if I want to continue I will sprint to the net, if I don’t feel anything I will try and go more full and see how it goes, but when I sprinted I felt pain, so I was like no, no need to continue.”
Will Daniil Medvedev play in Rome?
Medvedev’s withdrawal in the Spanish capital, of course, throws into doubt his involvement in next week’s Rome Masters. But it seems that he is still planning to play in the event.
“Right now definitely yes [to play in Rome], but I need to see the images and speak to my team,” he said. “For sure it would be good to come back there after winning last year but I need to see what it is, because right now I don’t know if it’s very serious, just serious or not serious.”
If Medvedev does play in Rome then he will be among the favourites to win the Italian Open, having proved victorious last year where he beat Holger Rune 7-5, 7-5 in the final.
However, despite this past success in Italy, his overall record on clay does not make for great reading. His win rate stands at just 52%, which is his lowest on any surface.
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