Daniil Medvedev suffered a shocking defeat in the opening round of the French Open. Thiago Seyboth Wild, a qualifier ranked No. 172 in the world, defeated Medvedev in a five-set match that lasted for 4 hours and 15 minutes. Medvedev is the first top-two seed in a men’s draw at a major to lose in the opening round since 2003, and the first at the French Open since 2000. Medvedev’s defeat came as a surprise as he arrived in Paris with high confidence and was playing the best tennis of his career on clay. He won his first title on the surface at the Italian Open, a Masters 1000-level event, less than two weeks ago.
Medvedev expressed his disappointment after the match. He stated that he did not see anything wrong he did, but the wind was crazy and made it difficult. Medvedev had more expectations for himself than usual at the French Open because of his success in Rome. He was even a betting favorite at the event for the first time. Medvedev’s early exit from the French Open could cost him his No. 2 ranking, which he had just reclaimed following his victory in Rome.
Seyboth Wild never eased up, even when he began cramping in the second set, and refused to back down, even in a roller-coaster deciding set. It was the first major main draw victory for Seyboth Wild, who will next face Guido Pella in the second round. Medvedev, on the other hand, will be deciding what to do next as he is not known for his prowess on grass either. He won the title in Mallorca, a 250-level tournament, in 2021, and reached the finals at the Libema Open and the Halle Open in 2022. He had his best result at Wimbledon with a fourth-round appearance in 2021 but was barred from playing at the event last season along with his fellow Russian and Belarusian players.
Medvedev did not share his full grass-court schedule on Tuesday, but he did say he would play the Halle Open before heading to Wimbledon. He was honest about his feelings and chances on the surface. While he has historically been slightly better on grass than clay, he cannot say that he loves playing on grass. Medvedev explained that it is better than playing on clay, and he will attempt to do better this year at Wimbledon than the years before.
Before the season turns to grass or hard court, Medvedev will have to relax and find positives after his early exit from the French Open. He has a trademark brand of humor and joked that he is happy to have the clay season finished. He does not like to eat clay, have it in his bags, shoes, or socks. He is happy to move on to the next challenge, even if he wanted to stay longer in Paris.
Medvedev has had many of his greatest career achievements at the US Open series, beginning in early August. He made his breakthrough in 2019 with a victory in Cincinnati and his first major final appearance in New York soon after. He then won his first and only Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open, just weeks after hoisting the trophy at the Canadian Open. Medvedev was upset in the fourth round at the 2022 US Open by Nick Kyrgios in four sets, but he will undoubtedly again be a favorite to win this year, barring injury.
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