Clay’s most electrifying artist, Carlos Alcaraz, will not grace Court Philippe-Chatrier this fortnight, and the silence left by his absence feels heavier than any roar he could have sparked. A right wrist injury suffered during his Barcelona Open opener brutally halted a clay campaign before it could breathe, while Wimbledon has now slipped away, too. Yet for Daniil Medvedev, Carlos’ withdrawal changes nothing, as the Russian marches into Paris determined to push deeper than ever on the surface that once resisted him.

“I’ll be honest, for me it doesn’t make a difference because it’s Roland Garros, I’ve never been in the semis here,” Daniil added at the press conference this Friday when asked about how much of a difference it makes going into the tournament like this without Carlos, where the Russian has beaten the defending champion earlier this year at Indian Wells.

Even though Alcaraz will not be competing in Paris, Medvedev made it clear that he is focused only on surviving one match at a time.

“I take it a match at a time. Of course, if I’m in semis and I play Jannik and maybe you know that Carlos isn’t there on the other side… you’re like ‘okay, maybe it’s kind of an easier challenge to try to win the whole thing.’ But at the moment we’re not there,” Medevedev added later.

The former US Open champion also pointed toward his difficult history at the Parisian clay. Despite being one of the top players of his generation, Paris has rarely been kind to him.

“I’m playing my 1st round, which I probably lost 6 times at Roland Garros, so I just want to do my best and try to go further through the draw,” Daniil said. “And Jannik here or not there doesn’t change much my approach to the tournament.”

For Medvedev, thinking too far ahead has never helped on the clay courts of Paris. That is why he refused to look at the draw or imagine potential semifinal scenarios already opening up because of Alcaraz’s withdrawal.

“As I said, maybe if I’m in the semis or the final, then I could actually answer the same question and say ‘Yeah, you know what, he’s not here, so it might be easier.’”

Still, the competitive edge players naturally carry into Grand Slams, Medvedev also showed genuine concern for the Spaniard. He ended his thoughts with a heartfelt message for Carlitos. “But in general, I would say I hope he comes back as fast as possible.”

Roland Garros has been one of the toughest tournaments of Medvedev’s career ever since he first appeared there in 2017. The Russian has reached the QF only once, in 2021.

In nine appearances until 2025, Medvedev has suffered six first-round exits and two fourth-round defeats. Those numbers continue to underline how uncomfortable he has often looked on clay.

Last year brought another painful chapter for him in Paris. Britain’s Cameron Norrie produced one of the finest wins of his career by defeating Medvedev in a dramatic five-set first-round battle at the French Open.

The struggles have not been limited to Roland Garros alone. Medvedev has repeatedly expressed frustration with clay courts, bluntly admitting several times how much he dislikes playing on the red dirt surface.

Daniil Medvedev reveals why clay courts remain his biggest tennis frustration

Throughout his career, Daniil Medvedev has built most of his success on hard courts. The Russian has collected 23 ATP titles so far, but only one of them has come on clay.

That lone clay-court triumph arrived in 2023 at the Italian Open. Medvedev defeated Holger Rune in the final to finally lift his first major title on the surface he has often struggled to enjoy.

Despite that breakthrough, Medvedev has never hidden his frustration with clay courts. Whenever questions about his poor form on the surface appear, the Russian usually answers with complete honesty rather than trying to avoid the topic.

“When someone asks me, ‘What’s the thing you really hate about clay?’ for me it’s dirty. I don’t like it,” he told reporters back in 2024. “Locker rooms are dirty. When you come, you clap the shoes to get out the clay. It’s dirty.”

He continued explaining why the surface irritates him so much during the long clay swing. “Socks, you can throw away after clay season, for sure. In your car after practice, it’s dirty. So I don’t like it. It is what it is.”

Even during his victorious run in Rome back in 2023, Medvedev’s complicated relationship with clay was impossible to ignore. At one point during the tournament, he was heard muttering, “If you like to play in the dirt like a dog, then I don’t judge.”

His frustration with the surface turned into a nightmare again this season. Medvedev suffered the first 6-0 6-0 defeat of his professional career against Matteo Berrettini in Monte Carlo.

The match quickly spiraled out of control as the Russian smashed a racquet during the brutal defeat. He finished the contest with 28 unforced errors, five double faults, and won only four of 21 points behind his second serve in a disastrous performance.

Now, with the French Open approaching once again, attention shifts back to how Medvedev handles the challenge ahead. As he prepares for his first-round match in Paris, it will be fascinating to see whether the Russian can finally find comfort on the surface he has battled for years.