Daniil Medvedev talks about his humiliating defeat in Monte Carlo.

Daniil Medvedev faces the biggest humiliation of his career and vows revenge at the Madrid Masters

Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev, a former world number one, experienced one of the toughest moments of his career after being defeated 6-0, 6-0 at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000, a devastating result that he himself described as “humiliating.” Despite the shock, Medvedev remains confident and assures that he will regain his form at the Madrid tournament, which begins this week.

Medvedev, the seventh seed in the Principality, faced Matteo Berrettini in the first round, who was then ranked only 92nd in the ATP rankings. Predictions pointed to an easy victory for the Russian, but the final result was an unexpected and humiliating blow: a “double bagel” in just 50 minutes, a defeat that no player of his caliber expects to suffer.

In exclusive statements to Bolshe Tennis, Medvedev did not hide his disappointment: “When you lose 6-0, 6-0, it’s clear that something is wrong. At this level, you can’t lose like that; something didn’t work that day. Then we try to understand the reason and ensure it doesn’t happen again.” The Russian player admits that clay has never been his favorite surface, but he states that he maintains a stable relationship with this surface and is capable of playing well on it.

Despite the humiliation, Medvedev reveals that the defeat did not shake his confidence for the upcoming challenges. “Any loss in tennis is always tough, for various reasons. It can undermine confidence, especially if it happens early on against an opponent we thought we would beat. Losing like that, in a final or an important tournament, is also frustrating, but what happened to me in Monte Carlo was different: it was humiliating, but it’s part of the sport.”

The Russian emphasized that, after the defeat, he needed time to regain his rhythm and confidence. “It was a difficult few days, maybe a week to get back to balance and figure out what to do next. Fortunately, I had time to train and prepare calmly for the next tournament.”

Medvedev makes his debut at the Madrid Masters this Friday against the winner of the match between Fabian Marozsan and Ethan Quinn. The former world number one promises to deliver a strong response and regain the prestige lost in Monte Carlo, a tough lesson, but one that will not tarnish his ambition and desire to win.

This episode marks a turning point in the season for Medvedev, who knows that in elite tennis, devastating losses are inevitable, but also that recovery is the true test of a champion. Madrid will be his opportunity to show that the humiliation of Monte Carlo is behind him and that the Russian is stronger than ever.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.