Djokovic on Medvedev: He’s the Leader of the Next Gen and Closing in on No.1
<![CDATA[The Serb has high praise for his new rival, Russia's Daniil Medvedev]]>
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday November 7, 2021Novak Djokovic was full of praise for Daniil Medvedev after he defeated the Russian in Sunday’s Paris Masters final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. The World No.1 has developed great rapport with the 2021 US Open champion, despite suffering a heartbreaking loss to him this September in New York, where he fell short in his quest to claim the coveted Calendar Slam at the last hurdle.
The Serb calls Medvedev the “leader” of the ATP’s generation next.“He's closing into on the World No. 1 rankings,” Djokovic told reporters in Paris. “I'm sure he's going to get it eventually, and when he does, it's completely deserved, because he's the leader of the next generation of players, where you have Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Tsitsipas, Rublev, these guys. You know, they are already there. They are challenging the three of us old guys, and we're going to try to hang in there and win big tournaments along with the young generation.”Long after the final Djokovic took to Twitter to offer some more positive words of praise to Medvedev.“What I love and respect about Daniil Medvedev is his commitment to being true to who he is at all times,” he posted. “Being authentic and original. Doesn’t matter what others think, say or expect, he keeps his heart and mind checked and measures his deeds based on his values.”It looks like Djokovic has a new rival at the top of the sport, and he is embracing it wholeheartedly.“When I see people who embrace their nature and identity and work hard to get better every day – I know they are in for greatness. I am looking forward to seeing more of you @DaniilMedwed. I know I won’t have it easy with you around and you are a great rival to have.”
When I see people who embrace their nature and identity and work hard to get better every day – I know they are in for greatness. I am looking forward to seeing more of you @DaniilMedwed. I know I won’t have it easy with you around and you are a great rival to have. pic.twitter.com/ScGY8zm32m
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) November 7, 2021
He Has No Holes in His GameDjokovic may have exposed a weakness in Medvedev’s game by coming to the net 36 times and winning a large majority of those points on Sunday, but the Serb told the media that Medvedev is pretty much bullet proof – there aren’t a lot of weaknesses to poke at when facing him.“There are no holes in his game right now,” he said. “I mean, both forehand and backhand are very solid. Just running forehand, forehand from mid court, something that probably wasn't his forte in the past, now he has improved a lot.“It's just he always makes you play. You know, he has a way to come back to the point from really difficult positions. So, you know, for someone of his height, the movement and the defense is fantastic. And also, he has improved in his aggressive style. So he takes the ball and comes to the net, and his volleys have improved as well which was maybe his weakness in the past.“He's one of the guys that you see, where you see the commitment and devotion to every day training and trying to perfect his game. He's a very smart guy also and nice guy. Tries to maximize his potential.” ]]>
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