"Been in finals and lost against Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz; I want to be better than them"

Daniil Medvedev has candidly addressed his title drought, acknowledging his losses to Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz at various tournaments.

Medvedev made a strong start to his season last year, going on a title-winning spree culminating in his triumph at the Italian Open. However, the Russian has failed to add to his tally since then, falling short in multiple finals.

The World No. 4 lost to Djokovic in the US Open final, Sinner in the Vienna, Beijing finals and 2024 Australian Open title matches. Medvedev recently suffered another setback, losing to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells final for the second straight year.

Furthermore, the former World No. 1's quest to defend a title for the first time was thwarted by Jannik Sinner in the Miami Open semifinals, with the Italian triumphing 6-1, 6-2 for his fifth straight win over Medvedev.

Following his loss, Daniil Medvedev was asked whether he was concerned about his title drought since his triumph in Rome last year. Tthe 28-year-old offered a different perspective, pointing out that his losses in finals all came against formidable opponents like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner.

"Well, it depends, because I'm trying, you know, to play the best tournaments in the world. I think if we look tournament by tournament, you know, I'm losing against big players," Daniil Medvedev said in his post-match press conference.

The Russian also expressed a strong desire to overcome his hurdles against the aforementioned trio, acknowledging the need to work on his game, either from a mental aspect or a tennis one.

"I have been in some finals and I lost against Sinner, Djokovic, and Alcaraz, and for sure I want to beat them and, let's say, be better than them. But I didn't manage to do it and I have to work on it either mentally or tennis-wise," he added.

Daniil Medvedev: "If I would play 10 ATP 250s a year, I'd probably get some titles, but I'm trying to play the best tournaments in the world"

Daniil Medvedev outlined his schedule for the clay season, sharing that it would include the Masters 1000 events in Monte-Carlo, Madrid and Rome, followed by the French Open. He recognized the daunting task of clinching his first title of the season in one of these tournaments.

However, the World No. 4 emphasized that his approach is to compete in the best tournaments in the world instead of potentially accumulating titles at ATP 250 events.

"You know, for example, on clay, I'm going to play Monte-Carlo, Rome, Madrid, Roland Garros. It might be tough to get a title there, but, you know, yeah, if I would play ten (ATP) 250s a year, I'd probably get some titles," he said in the same press conference.

"Never be too confident, but I'm sure I would be able to, but I'm trying to play the best tournaments in the world," he added.

Medvedev also lamented his lost opportunity to defend his title at the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this month, losing to Ugo Humbert in straight sets in the semifinals.