Daniil Medvedev still believes he has the weapons to beat “the best in the world” Novak Djokovic as he heads into Melbourne and the Australian Open despite being beaten by the Serbian star in Adelaide.
The Russian, who has lost in the finals of the last two Australian Opens, was beaten 6-3, 6-4 by Ghalib Djokovic in the Adelaide International semi-finals on Friday evening.
Despite the defeat, he said he was feeling “really great” heading into the year’s opening Grand Slam after a poor 2022, where he fell to seventh in the world rankings.
“Novak is in a different league – 21 Slams. That’s all we have to say. But generally positive and I need to stay positive because the first Slam is coming,” he said after the defeat.
“You have to believe in yourself,” he added. “I honestly say that before every match.
“Whenever I play them (Djokovic and Rafael Nadal), before the match I just think that I have to win, I have to try my best to win.
“I was able to do it. Rafa I think I only beat once, but I still managed to do it. I had some tough matches against him. I won a slam against Novak.
Since defeating Djokovic for the 2021 US Open title, Medvedev has been beaten three times by the Serb, who returns to Australia after missing last year’s Australian Open due to his vaccination status.
Medvedev defeated Nadal in nearly five sets in an epic final at Melbourne Park last year.
While Djokovic and Nadal pose a serious threat to Medvedev’s quest for a second Grand Slam title, they received a boost last week when world number one Carlos Alcaraz was injured.
Rossi said it was a shame, but he was confident the young Spaniard would bounce back.
“It’s a pity. He is one of the best players in the world,” he said.
“The way he played at 18, he might be a bit of a Rafa, Novak, Roger (Federer) type of guy. But he still has 19 Slams to win.
“I’m sure he’ll come back strong.”
