Roland Garros just got more interesting without Nadal

Roland Garros is gaining momentum in Paris – the second Grand Slam championship of the season with a total prize fund of €49.6 million. In an interview with Kommersant’s correspondent Yevgeny Fedyakov, he commented on Daniil Medvedev’s recent successes and latest failure, advised not to sing praises to the world’s first racket Carlos Alcaraz ahead of time, and noted that Novak Djokovic has a good chance of setting a record for the number of victories in majors.

– The leader of the world ranking is Carlos Alcaraz, in terms of points scored this year, Daniil Medvedev is still ahead, who, however, already dropped out from the fight at Roland Garros, and the first Grand Slam tournament this season was won by Novak Djokovic. Do you agree that a tripartite power has been established in men’s tennis?

– I would not call it a trinity, since Stefanos Tsitsipas, who already had a chance to become the first racket of the world, is also nearby. But the fact is that no one has a decisive advantage. Each of these players had both very successful periods and periods of downtime over the past year. Let’s say Djokovic was not allowed to enter the US, which caused him to miss the US Open. Alcaraz, due to injuries, did not play at last year’s final tournament in Turin and at the Australian Open. Medvedev remained in the background for quite a long time last season, but he sharply added three months ago – he won four tournaments on hard and plus the unpaved Italian Open.

– His defeat to the Brazilian Thiago Zaibot-Wild in the first round – a super sensation? Or at the start of the Grand Slam tournaments, when not everyone has time to adapt, such surprises should always be expected?

For me it’s a super sensation. Because I didn’t really know this guy. He had some achievements, but not on the scale to claim victory over Medvedev. It is clear that there are no sensations at the Grand Slam tournaments. But that doesn’t stop them from being sensational.

“Now Medvedev has an unplanned two-week vacation. In your experience, this break can be good for him before the second part of the season?

– Certainly. In recent months, Daniil has played a large number of matches, and immediately after Roland Garros, the grass season begins. And this pause can play a positive role.

– Due to what did Medvedev greatly improve on the clay, on which, despite his Paris fiasco, he earned a record number of rating points last spring and won his first title in Rome, and a very prestigious one at that?

“I think it happened naturally. Of course, Daniil made additional efforts to this, but I am convinced that a tennis player with an appropriate level of play will sooner or later come to universalism. Take at least Nadal. At first, Rafa was not perceived as an extra-class player on hard and grass, but then he managed to improve on fast surfaces and won Grand Slam tournaments. Medvedev while I took only one of them is the US Open, but on clay this spring, essentially the same thing is happening to him. I’m generally against labeling. Who said that Medvedev can’t play on clay? Yes, before Rome, he could not win titles on this surface. But after all, he constantly participated in major tournaments with the highest level of competition and, by the way, four years ago beat Djokovic himself in Monte Carlo, who was then the first in the world. And in small clay tournaments, where he always had a chance to win, Medvedev practically did not participate.

– But he himself did not really hide that he did not like the ground. In such cases, the player has to break himself a lot?

– Breaking and rebuilding in such cases are not the most accurate words. You just use an additional resource, turn on new reserves. I repeat once again: if you have a certain level, you are able to play on any surface. There are many examples of this. In addition to Nadal, you can also remember Federer. There was a moment when it seemed that he would never be able to win Roland Garros again. But he managed!

– Why is grass more suitable for Medvedev?

– If only because he treats her differently. After all, we never heard him, unlike the soil, criticize the grass. Of course, it was, is and will be a specific cover. But not for Medvedev alone.

– Alcaraz last year at the age of 19 became the youngest first racket of the world in the history of tennis. Is he phenomenal?

— How to look. After all, Nadal also shot very early at Roland Garros. But he became the first later, because in the prime of his life was Federer, who was extremely difficult to overtake. Yes, Alcaraz had a crazy streak last season and he is very good this year as well. But speaking of his leadership, one cannot ignore the fact that Djokovic did not receive points for winning Wimbledon, and also could not come to America for the US Open and other major tournaments. If not for all this, the first now, quite possibly, would be Novak.

– What is the strength of Alcaraz?

– In a team. She is very strong with him. Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos’ coach, told me a long time ago that he was working with a great guy. Ferrero has had crazy touring experience and Alcaraz trusts him, which is extremely important. In addition, Alcaraz has a rare mindset for his age. I could name quite a few players who remain teenagers at 21 and 22, while he, on the contrary, was already thinking like an adult at the age of 19. And this is also the merit of Ferrero, who helped Alcaraz mature early.

True, I would not be in a hurry to call him the undisputed leader of the near future. Yes, Alcaraz plays very well. But his tennis is very energy-intensive, and it is not surprising that he already had several injuries. Who can now guarantee that Alcaraz’s body will adequately respond to stress? In general, justifying advances is always difficult. Remember what praises were sung to the young Marat Safin. By no means do I want to say that Safin’s career did not work out. Still, he was the first in the world and won two Grand Slam tournaments. But you can’t compare him with the same Djokovic, Nadal and Federer in terms of results. Moreover, Roger became the undisputed leader precisely in that period of time when Marat was predicted the first place.

Djokovic recently turned 36 years old. So much for you when you retired. Do you have an explanation of how the Serbian manages to keep the perfect shape?

Novak is an incredibly organized professional. Starting with proper nutrition, which he chose for himself, and ending with other purely tennis issues. He managed to arrange his life in such a way that, on the one hand, make it harmonious, and on the other hand, completely subordinate it to the solution of the tasks that he set for himself. And he has a very good team. Also, we must not forget that due to the development of various technologies, including medical ones, men’s tennis has matured significantly. If earlier the age of 30 years was considered critical, now even 40 years is not the limit.

– Do you seriously think that Djokovic will be able to play to forty?

“A lot of it is a matter of motivation. By the way it looks now, why not? Yes, Djokovic is worried about injuries, and at the same time there are new strong young players. But in most matches, he spends less energy than they do. In addition, Novak, with his vast experience, is the best at coping with the psychological pressure that inevitably accompanies the achievement of the highest goals. Just because he got used to it for a long time.

– Judging by your words, is Djokovic’s record 23rd Grand Slam title secured sooner or later?

– As long as everything goes to this. Not the fact that it will happen right here in Paris. But Djokovic’s chances of taking a record-breaking title are very good.

– Who should be considered the most real contender for the title of champion of Roland Garros at the moment?

– Such forecasts are always fortune-telling on the coffee grounds. In the upper half of the grid there is Djokovic, Alcaraz, the same Tsitsipas plus Andrey Rublev with Karen Khachanov, capable of creating competition for them. And in the bottom half – Holger Rune, who plays very well, and last year’s finalist Kasper Ruud, who is able to reach the peak of form here. And today I am not ready to definitely give preference to someone from this list. I understand that many fans regret about absence Rafael Nadal. But in a way, without him, Roland Garros has become even more interesting, because the competition for the title has increased.