Home » Daniil Medvedev claims that facing Novak Djokovic is a tremendous challenge because he rarely loses.

This season, stars like Daniil Medvedev and Novak Djokovic have been difficult to defeat. In 2023, Djokovic and Medvedev are 26-2, have each won two tournaments, and are vying for a third in Dubai. Daniil won at Rotterdam and Doha in back-to-back weeks, climbing back into the top seven after falling out of it following the Australian Open.

In the Doha championship match, the Russian defeated Andy Murray and ignored the Dubai draw. He applauded world no. 1 after learning he might face Novak Djokovic in the semifinal. Medvedev claimed that Djokovic hardly rarely loses games and described each matchup with the Serb as a huge challenge.

The 13 occasions that Daniil and Novak have faced off, the more seasoned player has won nine games. Daniil defeated Novak in straight sets in the 2021 US Open final. Novak struggled under pressure but improved in their subsequent matches. The most recent of their four prior meetings, which took place in the Adelaide semifinal at the beginning of the season, was won by Djokovic.

Despite having problems with his left leg, Novak won 6-3, 6-4. Having served at 57%, Djokovic benefited the most. After getting the initial serve in, he played wonderfully and kept the pressure on the other team by surviving all three break points.

Both players scored 16 return points, but Novak’s two breaks from three chances were enough to win the match and keep him healthy for the title match. In game one, Novak got off to a good start. He then broke Daniil in game four to take a 3-1 lead.

Novak Djokovic received appreciation from Daniil Medvedev prior to their prospective match in Dubai.

The Serb had a medical break after suffering a left thigh injury. In game seven, he avoided a break point and ended the first set at 5-3 to give himself a huge advantage.

In the first six games of the second set, both players provided strong serving, but Novak eventually took a break to take the lead. At 4-3, the Serb stopped two break attempts and held at 15 at 5-4 to take the lead. On Tuesday in Dubai, Djokovic and Medvedev will be playing tennis.

The Russian plays against a lucky loser in Matteo Arnaldi, while the Serb takes on qualifier Tomas Machac. “The Dubai draw has not yet been seen by me. Normally, I don’t give a damn, so while I was in Rotterdam, I didn’t look at the Doha draw. I have no idea who I’ll be competing against or who will be in Novak’s section of the draw.

I have to take it match by match, and you say that I could face Novak in the semifinals. Given that Novak barely loses, that would be a fantastic challenge. If nobody plays the game of his life and defeats him, he should be in the semifinal.

Dubai always has a big draw, and I’ll want to be physically at my best because that’s now essential. It is difficult to defeat anyone when you are not at your best “said Daniil Medvedev.