The Russian was within touching distance of his second Grand Slam title, as he led by two sets and had multiple breakpoints in the third. But his game crumbled and Nadal ended up winning 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 to become the first male player to win 21 Grand Slams.
What followed was one of the strangest press conferences in tennis as Medvedev hit out at spectators for not having his back. He revealed that their behavior had crushed “the dreams of a kid” and that going forward he would prioritize tournaments in Russia over major events like Wimbledon.
Speaking with Gill Gross on his YouTube channel, Steve Flink remarked that Medvedev lost only because he could not capitalize on the “clutch moments” and that he should not point fingers at the crowd. He also pointed out that it was in front of the same crowd that Medvedev won the first two sets by playing brilliant tennis.
The 69-year-old acknowledged that the majority of spectators at the Rod Laver Arena on Sunday wanted Rafael Nadal to win. But he was not sure why it bothered Medvedev, seeing as how he managed to win against Novak Djokovic at the 2021 US Open in the presence of a similarly hostile crowd.
“Daniil Medvedev was drowning himself in a sea of self-pity; I don’t want to see him get in the habit” - Steve Flink
Steve Flink feels Daniil Medvedev’s comments at his post-match press conference were a reflection of his mental status during the match, which led to his eventual downfall. The American hopes the World No. 2 can avoid “drowning in a sea of self-pity” in the future, since he possesses a lot of natural charisma and honesty.
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