"From now on, I play for myself": Medvedev discouraged by lack of fan support

Losing in the final of a Grand Slam is always heartbreaking, even more so when the crowd is seemingly against you. For Daniil Medvedev, the Melbourne audience was a frustrating thorn in his side throughout his Australian Open campaign.

The Russian fell in the final of the major after Rafael Nadal completed one of the greatest comebacks in Australian Open history, winning after being down two sets to love. During the match, Medvedev faced both the Spaniard and the crowd who called out between some of the Russian's first and second serves and were cheering overwhelmingly for the world No. 5.

Because of the difficult experience, a raw Medvedev stated in an opening monologue at his press conference that he may skip future majors in favor of tournaments in his home country.

"From now on, I play for myself, for my family...for all Russians, because I feel a lot of support there," he said. "I will say this: if there is a tournament in Moscow before Roland Garros or Wimbledon, I will go there even if I miss Wimbledon or Roland Garros or something else.

"The kid stopped dreaming. The kid is going to play for himself."

Medvedev has never been shy about his lack of enthusiasm for the Melbourne crowd, calling them "idiots" and "empty brained" during an exchange with chair umpire John Blom after losing the third set in the final. In the first week of the tournament—after defeating Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets to reach the round of 16—the 25-year-old even described his rapport with the audience as a relationship, with "ups and downs" and hopes that there will be "more good times than bad times."

The Russian also ran into issues with spectators near the start of the tournament. After defeating Nick Kyrgios in the second round, Medvedev let the fans know exactly what he thought about them.

While most tournaments have respectful audiences, it's the Grand Slams that normally bring out the vocal side of fans. Medvedev was famously on both sides of the equation, when boos turned to cheers at the 2019 US Open.