Daniil Medvedev, the Russian tennis player, achieved his first win in the Italian Open after losing all previous matches. He defeated Holger Rune, a rising 20-year-old Danish player, in straight sets of 7-5, 7-5, to add his first clay-court trophy to his career record, which includes the 2021 US Open title and a period at No. 1 in the rankings. Medvedev was previously known for his exceptional performance on hard courts, where he won 18 out of his previous 19 titles, with the other title obtained on grass in Mallorca. However, his recent win proves that he is a strong contender for the upcoming French Open, the clay-court Grand Slam, which starts next Sunday.
With 14-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal announcing that he will not be competing in the upcoming tournament due to a lingering hip injury, there is room for a new champion at Roland Garros. Medvedev’s win on Sunday should give him confidence and make him a strong contender for the title.
Medvedev expressed his surprise at winning the Masters 1000 on clay and said, “Honestly, I didn’t believe much I can win a Masters 1000 on clay in my career because usually I hated it. I hated playing on it. I don’t feel good on it, like nothing was working.” He further added, “Before this tournament already in Madrid and Monte Carlo, I was kind of feeling not too bad. I didn’t have any big tantrums. I came here and I felt amazing on practice. … I was like, ‘I don’t know what’s happening, but I feel amazing. Let’s see how it goes.’ But then you need to play the toughest opponents in the world to try to make it. And I’m really happy that I managed to do it and prove myself and everybody that I’m capable of doing it.”
Medvedev’s win at the Italian Open was not an easy feat as he had to play against some of the toughest opponents in the world, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom he beat in straight sets in the semifinals.
Holger Rune, who eliminated six-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, should also leave the Foro Italico confident for Paris. He was also the runner-up to Andrey Rublev at the Monte Carlo Masters last month and then won a clay title in Munich. However, he acknowledged that he put too many expectations on himself and did not serve as well as he had in recent matches.
The final match started nearly two hours late due to a rain delay. This was a day after the Medvedev-Tsitsipas match was interrupted by rain suspensions for a total of nearly 4½ hours. Earlier on Sunday, organizers announced that they plan to install a retractable roof over Campo Centrale by 2026.
Medvedev’s win at the Italian Open also resulted in a change in the rankings. When the new rankings are released on Monday, Medvedev will rise to No. 2 and Carlos Alcaraz will return to No. 1, while Djokovic will drop from No. 1 to No. 3. Alcaraz, Medvedev, and Djokovic will therefore be seeded first, second, and third, respectively, at the French Open.
During the final match against Rune, Medvedev produced a blistering backhand return cross-court winner from deep in the corner and then ran down a drop shot with ease to set up a comfortable forehand winner, which helped him win the first set. When he broke Rune’s serve again in the second set, he missed two swinging forehand volleys, which gave Rune a break and a 4-3 lead in the second set. However, Rune could not serve it out, and Medvedev evened the set at 5-5 and then broke again in the final game. When Rune’s forehand was overruled by the chair umpire on Medvedev’s second championship point, Medvedev dropped down to the clay on his knees to celebrate.
Medvedev thanked the umpire and said, “I have to say thanks to Carlos because I actually felt the last ball was in. And it was out by far. … Thanks a lot. Otherwise, I would continue the point.” He was ecstatic about his win and said, “I mean, who would have thought that I would be standing here? I honestly didn’t. I don’t know about you guys, but I honestly didn’t think so. But it happened.”
Medvedev lost only one set throughout the tournament, which was against Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the third round. His win at the Italian Open is a testament to his determination and perseverance, and it proves that he is a force to be reckoned with on clay courts.
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