Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 12, 2024 Russia's Daniil Medvedev during press conference ahead of the Australian Open REUTERS/Edgar Su
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Daniil Medvedev had a disappointing Australian Open last year but is changing things up this time around as he looks to retain some energy at the back end of the season as well as present a new face to the world.
The 27-year-old Russian, whose third-round exit last year saw him drop out of the top 10, decided to shun the warm-up tournaments and headed straight to Melbourne Park, where he will face a qualifier in the first round.
"There is a risk always, but otherwise I would be 35-years-old and I would be like, 'I actually never spent a New Year at home'," he told reporters on Friday.
"So I decided this is a year to try. Finished late. Had vacation at the end of the season for the first time in maybe four years. If I had come here for a warm-up tournament, I would have two weeks of pre-season. Then you go non-stop.
"Last year, after the U.S. Open I felt that mentally and physically I was not what I wanted to be. I decided it's going to be good thing to try it like this."
Medvedev lost back-to-back Australian Open finals to Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal in 2021 and 2022 and also lost the U.S. Open final to the Serbian last year, taking his tally to one win from five Grand Slam title-deciders.
That bald statistic disguises the fact that all his losses came against Djokovic and Nadal, two of the greatest players of all time, and a couple of them were absolute epics.
After his early exit from Melbourne Park last year, Medvedev served a reminder that he has the talent to join any future 'Big Three' by winning 25 of his next 26 matches to claim four titles in five tournaments.
"I think the thing I learned last year is the future is bright no matter what," he added.
"I remember last year sitting in a press conference room. It was a tough feeling after the loss ... Then was probably one of the best parts of my career.
"That's the motto: the future is bright. This year hopefully I can play better in Australian Open and go further and show some good tennis."
Now back at world number three, Medvedev said his pre-Australian Open schedule was not the only thing he was looking to change.
"I want to change. I want to mature," said Medvedev, who has had several run ins with the Melbourne Park crowds over the years.
"I feel like I've made a big step these last few months. Hopefully people can see it on the court because that's the toughest challenge. When you're on court, that's where the adrenaline is at its highest.
"Even if something happens, I just want to go with who I am, try to do less of the stupid things that don't help me as a person and tennis player.
"Hopefully I can achieve it this season, and we're going to see a new Daniil Medvedev."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
