Despite reaching the finals of the Australian Open twice in a row, Daniil Medvedev has been unsuccessful in securing a win, losing to Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal in his last two attempts.
According to former professional tennis player Jelena Dokic, it can be assumed that the defeats would have had a significant impact on the Russian’s mental state, considering he had a lead in both matches against Sinner in 2024 and Nadal in 2022.
Upon previewing the European clay swing for the Australian Open website, Dokic expressed that although Medvedev faced a tough opponent, the memory of losing a major final after initially leading by two sets can linger in one’s thoughts.
“I think that there’s a combination of running into great players (in finals) … (but) I think the fact he lost to [Jannik Sinner] and [Rafael Nadal] from two-sets-to-love up in Australian Open finals, I personally think it stays in your mind,” Jelena Dokic said.
Dubbing Medvedev a “fortress”, Dokic observed that he could continue to operate in the same manner, but suggested that incorporating a distinct weapon into his gameplay could potentially aid him in successfully winning Grand Slam finals should he make it to another one.
“He can just keep going, he’s like a wall….”the Australian said. “He does like to manoeuver the ball around and even though he can be aggressive and has a big serve, he is comfortable playing the long points.”
“I think to really finish off and win those Grand Slams, you’ve got to do it with weapons,”she added.
Jelena Dokic: Daniil Medvedev is a Force to be Reckoned With
Jelena Dokic acknowledged that, although Daniil Medvedev can be a formidable opponent on hardcourts, she believes he should focus on putting more pressure on his opponents to increase his chances of success.
The Australian recommended incorporating new elements, such as serve and volley, into his game in order to add an element of surprise and achieve success.
“We’re talking about one-percenters,”Jelena Dokic said. “He’s barely losing matches. As good as he is, and not many can match it (with him) especially on hard courts, you need to put that extra bit of pressure on players, knowing you can’t just get balls back, you’re going to come forward, serve and volley. It’s also an element of surprise.”
Despite this, Dokic cautioned Medvedev’s adversaries against underestimating him, emphasizing that he is an intelligent player who is not afraid of putting in the effort.
“Don’t underestimate Medvedev. He’s smart, he’s a hard worker, he will work on a lot,” the Australian said.
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