Daniil Medvedev has gained admiration and respect from former Australian player Rennae Stubbs in the wake of his defeat in the Indian Wells final.
For the second year in a row, Medvedev was stopped in the championship match in California by World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. The Russian was in superb form during the fortnight, as he quelled three top-20 players to reach the final.
But he was outplayed by a resurgent Alcaraz, whose muscular groundstrokes and quick feet proved a major difference. Medvedev, who fought two battles during the match, including one with a crowd that largely supported the Spaniard, showed his bravery and resilience.
It’s easy for partisan atmospheres to turn a blind eye to an opponent’s sheer determination when their favorite is winning. Stubbs, a player-turned-pundit, emphasized this during a recent episode of the Racquet’s Rennae Stubbs Podcast.
“I have so much respect for him. I know he gets a little bit sloppy on the courts, at times, yesterday he was egging the crowd on… it’s a little tough for him because people love [Carlos] Alcaraz so much that they don’t give [Daniil] Medvedev any credit in a lot of ways.”
Stubbs praised Medvedev for his warrior-like mentality and noted that he was in a similar predicament in the Australian Open final, where he lost to Jannik Sinner. According to the 52-year-old, such strengths deserve recognition.
“It’s so hard to watch sometimes, same in the Australian Open, with [Jannik] Sinner. It’s like, he doesn’t get as much love as I think he deserves, and he does deserve it. Because he’s such a warrior, I like him as a player.”
Having already lost two finals this season and dropped down a spot to World No. 4, Medvedev will head to the Miami Open looking to defend his title. It is imperative he does well in Florida, especially with the clay-court swing just around the corner—a surface he dislikes.
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