ATP Tour

Medvedev reveals what he 'should' have done after latest Roland Garros defeat

Daniil Medvedev watched history repeat itself in brutal fashion on Tuesday at Roland Garros, where another first-round five-set defeat turned into a cruel case of deja vu.

Last year, the former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings fell to Cameron Norrie in a five-set defeat after letting a break advantage slip away in the deciding set. Twelve months later, the script felt eerily familiar, with Medvedev once again surrendering a fifth-set lead in a five-set loss, this time against Australia’s Adam Walton.

After another early exit in Paris, Medvedev admitted he may need to rethink his preparation for the clay-court major and hinted that a schedule change could be on the cards for next year.

“I want to play Grand Slams,” Medvedev said in his post-match press conference. “I know that I am in good shape and I can play well in Roland Garros, as well. I can. It's just tougher for me [than the other majors] and first rounds are usually tougher for me, but I will always come here.

“Maybe I should consider playing a tournament before, which I usually don't do before Grand Slams, but when it doesn't work, why not? That's the only thing I will consider next year.”

Coming into Roland Garros, Medvedev had shown encouraging signs on clay. The 30-year-old reached the semi-finals in Rome, where he pushed World No. 1 Jannik Sinner to three sets before eventually falling short.

But with his latest defeat at Roland Garros, Medvedev leaves the French capital with a 10-10 record at the tournament, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. While he reached the quarter-finals in 2021, Medvedev has now suffered first-round exits in seven of his 10 appearances at the clay-court major.

Against Walton, Medvedev struggled to consistently impose himself across a tense and uneven five-set contest. He found moments to regain control and looked on course to escape when he moved ahead 4-2 in the deciding set, but the match slipped away from him from there, when Walton reeled off five straight games to complete the 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 comeback.

“Not an easy match,” Medvedev said. “I didn't play my best tennis. He played good [in] some moments, some moments not that good, and I managed to take the match when he didn't play that well. That's it. I didn't manage to raise my level enough to win the whole match, and that's why I lost.”