Daniil Medvedev made a strong start to his US Open campaign and racked up a solid win in the opening round. He defeated Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 in what was a comfortable victory. This was a much-needed result for the Russian as he arrived at the tournament after suffering early exits throughout the US swing. But even though the win was an encouraging result, Medvedev unexpectedly dropped a retirement hint while addressing his previous claims of switching to pickleball.
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“Unfortunately, tennis takes too much energy and time,” he said during his on-court interview after the match. “Otherwise, I would do something else. Maybe not exactly pickleball, but I’d exchange tennis…sometimes tennis, sometimes something else. Unfortunately, tennis is a full-time job. Until I’m, let’s say, 37 and a half, I will be happy to play tennis. And then let’s see what life brings me.”
Medvedev recently grabbed attention through his comments at the Winston-Salem Open. He pulled out of the US Open’s mixed doubles event to participate in the tournament. However, the results continued to be disappointing as Martin Damm defeated him 7-5, 6-3 in the Round of 32. During the match, a frustrated Medvedev was heard saying that tennis is the worst sport in the world and even expressed his desire to start a career in pickleball.
“Maybe I should start a career in pickleball. Not too late. With Jock Sock… in doubles. Every sport on this planet is better [than tennis], man. Even curling right now,” he said during a changeover in the second set against Damm.
But it is unlikely that Medvedev will be leaving tennis anytime soon. As he said himself, he is still happy to continue playing tennis as a full-time job and wants to play in the coming years as well. The comments he made at the Winston-Salem Open likely came out due to the frustration of losing in the early stages despite being the No. 1 seed of the event.
So, it wasn’t a surprise that there weren’t many expectations around Medvedev as he arrived at the US Open. But at least he has managed to cross the first hurdle this time around. The same wasn’t the case last year, as the Russian suffered a first-round defeat to Benjamin Bonzi and also had an infamous outburst by the end of the match.
Medvedev mocked the chair umpire after he awarded Bonzi a replacement first serve while he was on match point because a photographer prematurely stepped onto the court. “He wants to go home, guys. He doesn’t like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour,” he was heard taunting the umpire.
But Bonzi converted the match point and racked up a memorable 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 0-6, 6-4 victory. Medvedev didn’t take the defeat lightly and was seen smashing his racket onto the ground as his wife, Daria Medvedeva, left the stands at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Medvedev was later fined $42,500 by the USTA for unsportsmanlike conduct.
While Medvedev may have avoided a first-round exit this time at Flushing Meadows, it remains to be seen how far he manages to go in the competition.