In an interview to Daily Mail Daniil Medvedev spoke about how his wife Daria helps him in playing his best tennis.
Daria is a former junior player and he is now following her husband in almost every tournament. Medvedev praised Daria for being very supportive: “She was playing tennis until she was 17 or 18 and then had a lot of injuries and couldn’t reach the level she wanted to be.It’s really good because she understands tennis, which is needed. She knows we can’t go shopping before a match for example. She knows that there are many days during the tournaments when I’m busy from eight in the morning until the evening and maybe it’s not easy to understand this if you don’t know the game.
She has helped me to grow up as a man and as a tennis player”, said Medvedev. Medvedev commented on his improvements and how he deals with the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic: “I felt that while I was able to compete mentally and technically, physically I was not even close.
I needed to work more. At the US Open I felt ten times more ready physically and that’s why my results changed.’ He disputes the received wisdom that younger players are guilty of giving the big three too much respect.
I don’t think we are losing to them because we are intimidated. Look at (Pete) Sampras, he had fourteen Grand Slams and everybody was saying this record is unbeatable for 100 years. Then three guys come along and suddenly it’s gone.
They are really good tennis players, the best in history, and I don’t think it’s because we are afraid. I am not afraid.”
