The world number four will enter the Monte Carlo Masters trying to find the perfect mix between changing his game for the claycourt swing and maintaining the approach that led to four wins in 2023.
The 2021 U.S. Open is one of Medvedev’s 19 victories; the other 18, including the Mallorca Open, which he won on grass in the same year, have all come on hard courts. Despite winning in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, and Miami this season, the 27-year-old understands clay will be a new challenge for his game.
In the ATP 1000 tournament, Medvedev will first play Lorenzo Sonego or Ugo Humbert. “I have to change my game because my strokes are too flat and clay doesn’t let the ball go through the court as much,” Medvedev said.
“Those shots can be used against me by my opponents.”
“At the same time, you can’t significantly alter what you do in nine or a year, so I have to find a good balance where I still play my game, with a little variation, and with some shots at the right time.”
Despite not being a huge lover of clay, Medvedev made it to the finals of Barcelona and Monte Carlo in 2019 and knows that winning a championship on the surface would give him more confidence going into the French Open.
