Daniil Medvedev prepares himself for a slightly awkward return to Australia for the Australian Open that will begin next month. Medvedev, who reached the final last time in Melbourne, fell prey to the brilliance of Rafael Nadal, who came back from two sets down to win his 21st grand slam title.

But the major talking point at the Rod Laver Arena was the fact that the crowd was pretty much against the Russian star. Medvedev was clearly agonized by the one-sided support for Nadal. However, he is all set to return now, and ahead of the big tournament, Medvedev said that he is taking inspiration from an upcoming star in the world of tennis. 

Carlos Alvarez took the world by storm in his breakthrough year, where he picked up some big wins against major players and finished it with the US Open triumph, his first Grand Slam win. Medvedev himself won his first Grand Slam title at the Arthur Ashe Arena and was full of praise for the player.

“When you are confident after winning games, you are more of a favorite for a Grand Slam. Still, before the US Open, Alcaraz wasn’t playing his best tennis but with the talent and game he has, he was able to do it. That’s what I think of myself. 

“I know I can play good tennis, I know I can beat anybody on a good day, and I know I’m capable of winning Grand Slams because I did that against Novak when he was aiming for the Calendar Grand Slam at the US Open 2021,” Medvedev said. 

The 19-year-old from Murcia bettered his 2022 season by also winning two Masters 1000 (Miami and Madrid) and as many ATP 500 (Rio and Barcelona).

His performance has not been up to the expected mark after his triumph in New York, also due to some injury concerns. A torn abs sustained in Paris-Bercy prevented him from playing the ATP Finals in Turin and the Davis Cup finals in Malaga. Juan Carlos Ferrero’s protege will be engaged in the Abu Dhabi exhibition from 16 to 18 December.