Daniil Medvedev’s first-round French Open defeat proves he still has work to do on clay

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It’s hard to look at Daniil Medvedev’s first-round French Open exit as anything other than a major disappointment. Arriving at Roland Garros as the number two seed, much was expected of the Russian, especially as it appeared as though he had banished his inability to produce his best on clay.

He reached the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2021 and the fourth round last year, before a hard-earned triumph at the Italian Open earlier this spring earned Medvedev his first clay court title. Finally, it seemed as though he was comfortable on the surface, and it’s no wonder he was a strong favourite in the men French Open betting odds for this year’s tournament.

But it all came crashing down before it had even begun. A disappointing performance against Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild led to a rather embarrassing first-round defeat, and Medvedev was booking his flights home from a tournament he was expected to go far in.

After the match, Medvedev was scathing about his performance, and not for the first time, made vocal his distaste for the clay surface.

“Because of the wind, dry court, I had a mouthful of clay since probably the third game of the match, and I don’t like it,” he said. “I don’t know if people like to eat clay, to have clay in their bags, in their shoes, the socks, white socks, you can throw them to garbage after clay season.”

“Maybe some people like it. I don’t. I am happy to have it finished. I’m going to have to have a good time off. Have to find positives.”

It’s clear that Medvedev struggles with the unique challenges presented by clay-court tennis, and that it has become something of a distraction for him. It seems as though once a match starts to go against him, as it did versus Seyboth Wild, he laments the playing surface instead of finding a way to rediscover his best form and turn the match around.

There’s no denying that Medvedev is one of the best players in the world, and a player capable of winning multiple Grand Slam titles. After all, he claimed his maiden major crown at the 2021 US Open, so has proven he has what it takes to win the biggest titles.

However, Medvedev often appears to let frustration get the better of him, and while some players use their frustration in a positive manner and channel that energy into performing better, Medvedev seems to let his anger get the better of him at times.

The Russian may be glad that the clay season is over, but he’ll need to find a way to perform more consistently on the surface, and avoid letting it frustrate him. With Rafael Nadal’s career seemingly winding down, the opportunity will arise for more players to win the French Open after the Spaniard’s era of dominance comes to an end. Medvedev can’t afford to let these opportunities pass him by each year.

The 27-year-old is clearly hurting after this early exit from one of the biggest tournaments of the year, and time will tell if it affects him moving forward.