Medvedev, the number 1 who cannot play at Wimbledon after being banned for the war

Logic suggests that the year you become world number one, everything is in your favor. Whether you’re constantly lifting titles, reaching final instances in nearly every event, or having your name cover the covers of top magazines. Well, for Daniil Medvedev this is far from the case. The Russian started 2022 well, but those feelings quickly faded . Today, he is at the top of the leaderboard, but in large part because of the incredible feats he achieved last year.

And it is that after the lost final at the Australian Open this year, the season took a drastic turn for the 25-year-old tennis player. The Russian invasion of Ukraine brought him (unfairly) to the forefront of controversy, being affected by global pressure and the subsequent veto to contest Wimbledon. Between, a hernia forced him to undergo surgery and miss several tournaments .

But just before that, the top of the world knocked on his door. It was at the end of February 2022 that the Muscovite usurped the crown from Djokovic and established himself as world number one. It was a short stay, only three weeks, but it was enough to end the Serbian monarchy of 79 uninterrupted weeks at the top .

Why did you take that leap? Mainly because of what was harvested in the home stretch of 2021 and the start of 2022. In addition to the final in Australia, where he lost miserably after going two sets against Nadal, the Russian was inflated by his achievements in the second part. of last season. In this section, in addition to winning the Canadian Masters 1000 and the memorable US Open where he conquered his first major and left Djokovic without winning all four Grand Slams in the same season, the Russian managed to settle in the final of the Masters 1000 in Paris and in the ATP final.

This sprint of achievements, added to the fact that Nole lost 2000 points for not being able to travel to Australia, meant that once the ATP in Acapulco was over (where he made the semi-final) Medvedev managed to become the 27th player to be world number one in the open era .

The problem is that after Mexico, the winner of the 2020 Masters Tournament could not continue to reproduce his great performance. 16th in Indian Wells and the quarter-finals in Miami before stopping because of a hernia. A month later he would return to Geneva, but would lose on his debut. Already at Roland Garros, he managed to bounce back, but lost in the round of 16 against Marin Cilic.

It was after the Parisian Grand Slam that he reached number one again. Djokovic’s loss in the quarter-finals caused the Russian will climb to the top with 7,950 points and return to the seat he had lost months ago.

Other than that, the positives are two things. One is that clay (his worst surface) was left behind and the other is that Daniil always performed better in the second half of the year. With the North American concrete tracks appears its best version , something that still continues until the Masters at the end of the season. Nine of his 13 titles have been won in this window.

It makes people believe that now calm can come after a year of going through every possible emotion. He hopes that after Wimbledon the punishments for being Russian, injuries and poor performances will be left behind. He secured number one until the end of July something that can be extended if the results come with it.

Medvedev is, like his 2022, a character of extremes. Sometimes you look at him and he’s freezing, expressionless, feelingless, smashing the ball over and over like nothing is going through his mind. But you can also see it and find the fire. Broken racquets, shouting at the public, complaints to the judges. The menu will always change and you never know when you’ll come across which one.

We remember the fight he had with Tsitsipas when they were both teenagers and they faced each other after a match in Miami in 2018 where the Russian threw strong words at the Greek, after saying Russian insults . “You better shut up Stefanos, won’t you look me in the eye and talk? You have a problem? First you go to the bathroom for emergencies for five minutes, then you don’t apologize for touching the net. Do you really think you’re a good boy? Look at me! Look at me! You are a child who does not know how to fight. said.

His performance at the 2019 US Open also caused a stir when he played against crowds throughout the tournament, receiving constant boos for crossing a passing ball in early games. “I love you guys made me win he ironically confessed to the public at the time.

But Daniil is not just that side of the coin. Several times, he is surprised by the calm he takes in his defeats, always showing a very positive attitude. After letting the Australian Open slip away, he was not only calm but also emphasized what Nadal had done. “I want to congratulate you Rafa, especially after what happened. I asked Rafa after the game, aren’t you tired? I thought I could win, but you really leveled up to win. Congratulations to your team. For me, it’s not the end.” he said at the awards ceremony.

Something that was repeated last week when he lost the final of ‘S-Hertogenbosch against the World 205. “First of all, congratulations to Tim. It was an amazing week. First ATP tournament and, like that, you destroy the world number two (the ranking was not yet updated) in two sets in the final. I don’t know how you feel, but I imagine it will be an incredible feeling.” he told her in a friendly tone.

These are the two versions of Medvedev, a Russian who lives in Monte Carlo, who is married to his longtime girlfriend, who studied physical education at university and who started playing tennis at the four years old. A 25-year-old guy who is on top of the world and now hopes he won’t leave it anytime soon. The future is in your hands.