Daniil Medvedev played a practice session against Rafael Nadal before the Spaniard’s first-round match against Alexander Zverev at the French Open.
Daniil Medvedev stated that after losing a practice match to Rafael Nadal, he was relieved not to face him in the French Open draw. On Thursday, the Russian and Spanish players helped each other warm up at Roland Garros.
Nadal is prepared to say farewell to his favourite major, which he has won 14 times with only three defeats since his debut in 2005.
But he faces a difficult assignment in getting past the first round after being drawn against world No.4 Alexander Zverev.
It’s an intriguing matchup made possible by Nadal’s unseeded status, but Medvedev claims he’s rediscovering some form just in time, telling reporters today: “Honestly, he performed great.
“We did not play five sets, but he performed well, better than in Rome or Madrid. We played a set and then some, and he defeated me.
“I’m interested to watch how he plays against Zverev because Rafa will always be Rafa. He has won here 14 times and, even if he is not the favourite, he can easily win.”
Medevedev does not envy Zverev’s challenge, which is to improve on his previous three semi-final appearances at the French Open. “It is a great event to play against Rafa at Roland Garros, but it is a tough draw in reality,” he said.
“The first round will be difficult against someone who has won 14 titles here, but it may be an intriguing matchup. I trained with Rafa yesterday, and he played good.
“However, training and playing a match are not the same. I’ll be there to witness the match, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m glad I’m not playing with him in the first round.”
Medvedev, the fifth seed, will face Dominik Koepfer in his opening encounter. The 2021 US Open champion has only ever made it to the final eight in Paris.