Daniil Medvedev has decided not to start his European indoor hardcourt season at the Vienna Open in 2024. Last year, he was the No. 2 seed and made it to the finals, where he lost an exciting match against Jannik Sinner in three sets. The fans were thrilled by this intense showdown.
Recently, Medvedev participated in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia. This event also featured big names like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner, and Holger Rune. Djokovic and Nadal had a bye straight into the semifinals while Medvedev faced off against Sinner on day one, with Alcaraz taking on Rune.
Despite having lost seven out of eight previous matches against Sinner on hard courts—his favorite surface—Medvedev hoped for a better outcome this time around. Unfortunately for him, things didn’t go as planned; Sinner defeated him again and advanced to face Djokovic next.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ru Daniil Medvedev | 28 | 6,485 | 27 - 8 |
Unexpected Outcomes and Opinions
Fans might find it interesting that Medvedev thinks Sinner’s top game is now slightly superior to Alcaraz’s best performance. This comment adds more excitement to the upcoming final between Sinner and Alcaraz at the Six Kings Slam. Meanwhile, Djokovic and Nadal are set to clash once more before Nadal retires next month.
Even though Medvedev only played one match in Riyadh, he’ll still earn $1.5 million from participating! The winner between Sinner or Alcaraz will receive an even larger paycheck—the biggest ever seen in tennis history.
In 2022, Medvedev claimed victory at the Vienna Open by defeating Denis Shapovalov after losing the first set but came second last year when facing Sinner again—a testament to his strong performances in Austria over recent years.
However due to a shoulder injury announced by tournament officials (though not confirmed by him), he’s pulled out of this year’s competition despite fond memories there: “I have a lot of positive memories of the tournament. So it’s a shame that I can’t compete, but I’ll definitely be playing in Vienna again next year.”
Some speculate that participating at Six Kings Slam may have influenced his decision since it wasn’t ideal preparation if resting was necessary for recovery from any shoulder issues before heading into Vienna Open battles ahead!
Replacing him is Alex Michelsen—the powerful American player who could pose threats when finding rhythm indoors across Austrian courts alike those found within venue walls themselves too perhaps?
What do you think about these developments?
