Daniil Medvedev had a great year in 2023. He started the season ranked outside of the top 10 but quickly found himself climbing into the top 5. He reached the final of the US Open and won the Miami Open by beating Jannik Sinner. However, when asked to pick his favorite moments of the year, Medvedev gave quite a surprising answer.

Many tennis players do not enjoy playing on clay courts. But perhaps no one is as outspoken about their disdain for the sport as Medvedev. Therefore, his picking a clay court victory over others is bound to shock people.

Daniil Medvedev picks unexpected win as his favorite

When the Rome Masters rolled around before the French Open, no one expected Medvedev to go far in the championship. But he went to infinity and beyond when he beat every player in his path to win the tournament. The moment surprised everyone watching and would go down as an iconic win for Medvedev. In fact, it made it into his best memories of the year.

ATP Tour’s official Instagram handle recently posted a video asking him about the 2023 season. When asked about the one memory he will remember from 2023, he said, “I will always remember Rome tournament in general, of course, because I won the title, I’m saying it. But I was there with my wife, my daughter, so that was a good moment.”

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When asked about the most unexpected from the moment, he replied, “It was Rome, winning in Rome. I definitely. I still cannot expect it, but I managed to do it so nobody can change it. But it was very unexpected.”

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There are likely no players in the sport who dislike the clay court as much as Medvedev. After several years of facing difficulties during the clay court season, he found inspiration in a compatriot to overcome his aversion to the surface.

Medvedev’s clay court motivation

Like Medvedev, Maria Sharapova also faced difficulties on clay. She would often fall short of performing up to par on the surface. However, she trained arduously on the surface and could finally show why she has reached rank 1 many times. She would go on to win two French Open titles and inspire Medvedev. The Russian ATP star found motivation in her to go far in his clay performances.

He told Tennis Letter that he could be inspired by her improvement, and he did. He won his first clay-court tournament, which became his first title on the surface. With the improvement shown in the Masters, will Medvedev aim for the Roland Garros next season?

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