Medvedev reveals personal battle in "Behind the Racquet"

The core belief of Noah Rubin’s Behind the Racquet enterprise is that everyone has a story. While many of the players’ stories are about overcoming difficulty, tragedy or injury, Daniil Medvedev’s journey to the game’s elite was more of an internal battle with himself.

“I remember talking to (Alexander) Bublik, playing a Future thirty minutes away from where I lived in France,” Medvedev wrote. "I was around 700 in the world and asked him, ‘How do you even become 300, it seems impossible?''

“Even after reaching the Top 100 for the first time, I knew deep down I wasn’t professional. When I was on court I would give 100%, but off the court I wouldn’t do the right things. I would go to bed late, play hours of PlayStation and just not worry about the small things.”

Medvedev credits his commitment to professionalism for his recent climb into the world’s Top 5.

“If you talk to anyone from juniors they would say I was one of the players in the worst shape, sometimes cramping after only thirty minutes," Medvedev said. "From 70 to Top 5 in the world was the jump where I really decided to dedicate everything to tennis. I wanted to finally find my limits. That was the moment for me.”

The 24-year-old has transformed into one of the most physically fit and mentally tough players in the world, winning an astounding 59 matches in 2019 including a memorable run to the US Open final.

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