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US Open: “If I’m satisfied with reaching the last 16, I might as well quit tennis,” Daniil Medvedev says after defeat

From Le Figaro · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • Daniil Medvedev lost to Frances Tiafoe in the US Open last 16, continuing his struggle to regain the form that brought him the 2021 title.
  • The 30-year-old Russian said he doubts himself at times but believes he can play “ten times better” and still win another Grand Slam.
  • Tiafoe used his net play effectively, winning 34 of 47 points at the net in a match that lasted 2 hours and 56 minutes.

Daniil Medvedev did not try to soften the disappointment of another early exit at the US Open. After losing to Frances Tiafoe in the last 16, the former world No. 1 offered a stark assessment of where he stands.

“Right now, I suppose I doubt myself a little. I know I can play ten times better. I’m not bad, but I can play so much better,” Medvedev said. Five years after winning the tournament in New York, he is still searching for the consistency that once made him a serious contender for the biggest titles.

Right now, I suppose I doubt myself a little. I know I can play ten times better. I’m not bad, but I can play so much better.

· Daniil MedvedevHe assessed his confidence and current level after losing to Frances Tiafoe.

The defeat to Tiafoe served as a doorway into a wider problem. Medvedev said the issue was not whether he could produce high-level tennis, but whether he could reproduce it often enough. “Was it a bad match? No, but I can play so much better. If I want to win Grand Slams, I have to play better,” he said.

Was it a bad match? No, but I can play so much better. If I want to win Grand Slams, I have to play better.

· Daniil MedvedevHe explained why the defeat reflected a broader struggle to reproduce his best tennis.

Despite a difficult period since his 2021 triumph, Medvedev has not abandoned that ambition. He pointed to the surprises that continue to appear on the tennis circuit, including Vacherot’s victory in Shanghai, as evidence that major breakthroughs remain possible. “I think that’s the beauty of sport. In tennis, anything can happen within a few weeks. Sometimes there is magic, magical stories, like Vacherot winning Shanghai. It’s incredible,” he said. “There are many stories like that. Anything can happen.”

Against Tiafoe, Medvedev led late in a fiercely contested first set before the American forced a tiebreak and took control. Tiafoe’s frequent advances to the net unsettled him throughout the match. He broke after five games in the second set and finished the set with two backhand volleys. In the third-set tiebreak, Tiafoe saved a set point with a body volley, earned match point with a short cross-court backhand and finished in 2 hours and 56 minutes. The run nevertheless helped Medvedev reverse a worrying recent trend in New York.

I think that’s the beauty of sport. In tennis, anything can happen within a few weeks. Sometimes there is magic, magical stories, like Vacherot winning Shanghai. It’s incredible.

· Daniil MedvedevHe said unexpected results keep his hopes of another major title alive.
About this summary

Originally published by Le Figaro in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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