By Chris Oddo | Thursday February 14, 2019
The proof is in the pudding. Daniil Medvedev is already a menacing threat on the ATP Tour, and as he gains confidence and comfort he could become even better—potentially even World No.1.
Even better? Medvedev is a unique firebrand that plays unconventional, quirky strokes and possesses more patience and tactical savvy than he is given credit for. The Russian, still only just 23 (born on Feb. 11) and already with four ATP titles to his name, is currently playing at the ABN Amro World Tennis Championships in Rotterdam, where he is into the semi-finals for the first time after taking Jo-Wilfried Tsonga out on Friday.
Two years ago I talked to Medvedev, back when he was 58 in the world, and at the time I’ll admit that I didn’t see him making such a swift rise to the upper echelons of men’s tennis. This was before he had any titles, and consequently before he possessed any of the palpable confidence that he now possesses when he struts the baseline during his matches.
These days Medvedev walks around the court like he owns the place. Three quick bounces and the ball is in the air—he cracks his serve almost heedlessly, then cracks on through rallies with the gusto of a player that believes he can’t be beat.
There are reasons for the confidence, and even more important, reasons for the wins that created the confidence. The more you watch Medvedev the more you know that this is a rare and special athlete that possesses not just the tools to be a champion but also a vast array of other tools that serve him well.
Examples: Medvedev sometimes slides out all the way to the doubles alley before he hits a first serve, as if flippantly saying to his opponent “Watch how I’m gonna mess with you.” It’s hard to say if the serve delivers any tangible effect in his matches (he only does it once or twice at most) but it’s hard to deny that it doesn’t, either.
That may be one of Medvedev’s more gimmicky assets, but there are others. First off, he’s remarkably fleet-footed for someone 6’5” tall. The Moscow native has developed a reputation for his offensive chops—think flat, hard groundies, a wicked serve, aggressive net play—but he’s also quite adept when defending, and very comfortable going from defense to neutral incrementally, as he waits for his next moment to attack.
During those rallies, the longish ones, Medvedev can be remarkably consistent, probing with his ground strokes from corner to corner, as well as remarkably diverse, mixing spins and trajectories and angles. On countless occasions, he gets into mega-rallies and doesn’t blink, coming out on top in a high percentage of them, just as he does in the shorter rallies.
It's impressive how accurate he can be, given how little margin he plays with at times.
Honestly, it’s hard to find a weakness in Medvedev’s game right now. We are talking about a 6’5” force that has won 86 percent of his service games and 33 percent of his return games this season (prior to Rotterdam). If you add those two up and study all the players in the Top 20, only Novak Djokovic (90+39) and Rafael Nadal (92+32) come out with a higher number.
And of course there’s the swagger. World Feed commentator Pete Odgers likened the Russian, nicknamed the bear, to a volcano, because he can be very composed, almost timid, for long stretches of time, but when he boils over, LOOK OUT. He got perturbed against Jeremy Chardy in the second round at Rotterdam after a few poor games and went full-on wrecking ball on his Tecnifibre racquet.
Two games later he was composed again, playing well and winning the set in a tiebreaker.
That’s the enigma-wrapped-in-a-mystery part of Medvedev’s personality that could also serve him well. Remember, this is a guy that practically started a fist-fight with Stefanos Tsitsipas in Miami last year. Outside of his close-knit group of Russian friends, he’s not interested in good vibes with the people he sees as potential barriers to where he wants to go in the sport.
It may seem a bit off-putting in our current climate where sportsmanship is regarded so highly and feel-good moments are woven into the tapestry of so many fan favorites and champions, but Medvedev marches to the beat of his own drummer.
He’s an unorthodox personality and he plays unorthodox tennis that often leaves his opponents scratching their heads and wondering what the heck just hit them.
Perhaps there’s a book on Medvedev that has yet to be written; Maybe there’s a weakness to his game, something that the players on tour will find and exploit. If they find it they’ll probe him and get beyond the surface, trying to wreck his momentum and curb his ascent.
Maybe he’ll prove, like Alexander Zverev, to not be a quick study at the majors and struggle for years to realize his potential at the biggest events. Grand Slams can be a tricky animal and Medvedev has yet to reach beyond the round of 16. But for now, Medvedev is full speed ahead and looking like a Top 10 talent with the potential to go higher.
Until somebody trips him up, I know I won’t be betting against him.