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Holger Rune, Stan Wawrinka, Vasek Pospisil, and several other tennis players have reacted to Daniil Medvedev winning the 2023 Italian Open.
On Sunday, May 21, Medvedev secured his first clay-court trophy and sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown by defeating Rune 7-5, 7-5 in the final. The victory also marked Medvedev's 20th ATP tour title.
The former World No. 1 has been vocal about his aversion to clay courts throughout his career. That didn't seem to bother him in Rome though, as he dropped only one set during the tournament despite facing opponents like Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Medvedev revealed a few days ago that his comfort level on clay has improved after competing in the Madrid Open and Monte-Carlo Masters. In fact, he even made it to the quarter-finals in Madrid before ultimately losing to Rune.
Medvedev took to social media on Sunday to share a couple of images of him with the Italian Open trophy. In the post, the Russian expressed his mixed feelings towards clay courts despite his recent triumph on that surface.
He also stated that while he may not love the surface, he does have a deep appreciation for the city of Rome.
"Love with clay? Don’t know. But for sure in love with Romaaaa❤️," Medvedev captioned his Instagram post.
Numerous tennis players and notable figures responded to the Russian's post, extending their congratulations. Among those who offered their felicitations are Stan Wawrinka, Holger Rune, and Vasek Pospisil.
"Congrats man 🏆," Rune commented.
"Love to see it," Pospisil commented.
Hubert Hurkacz and Matthew Ebden also extended their congratulations to Medvedev.
"It was a tough match" - Daniil Medvedev
Following his victory at the Italian Open, Daniil Medvedev gave his thoughts on the summit clash against Holger Rune.
He acknowledged that it was a challenging match and that both he and Rune initially missed some straightforward shots. Nevertheless, Medvedev expressed satisfaction that he stepped his game up and ultimately secured the win.
"It was a tough match. I think we were both a bit nervous at the start and I think we were both missing our basics. We were missing some easy shots, so I am happy I managed to step it up at the end of the first set," he said.
"But then at the start of the second set he stepped it up straight away and I was like 'OK, this is the moment I have to start playing better and go to his level.' Then it was a top match from this stage," he added.
Following his 2023 Italian Open triumph, Daniil Medvedev is set to rise to the second spot in the world rankings when they are updated on Monday, May 22. Current World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, will relinquish his top position to Carlos Alcaraz and drop to third place after failing to defend his title in Rome.
