Daniil Medvedev could well be basking in praiseworthy comments at the moment from the tennis community after his stunning win over Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon 2024 quarterfinals. The most recent notable personality to join the bandwagon is Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rick Macci. Macci took to X to praise the lanky Russian player for his athletic prowess.
The Florida-based award-winning coach has called Medvedev a “Russian Octopus”. This could be because he has his ‘tentacles’ well spread across the tennis court to reach for the ball from any position.
Macci also boldly claimed that he has never seen a player who is more than 6 foot 5 inches tall, as good as the World No.5. Medvedev, who is 6 foot 6 inches tall, could use his height to have a speedy serve and for shots like smashes.
But the Russian is more versatile than that, which is why he could beat the World No.1 in a thrilling 5-setter.
He is by far the fastest player ever to play the sport over 6 ft 5. The Russian octopus has tentacles that Deliver and Shiver hit on the Run with a Ton and can put you to Bed like the human contortionist they call Med.
— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) July 10, 2024
Interestingly, Macci also called Medvedev a ‘human contortionist’ for the way he can bend his body and reach the ball. Ironically, his unappealing style of play doesn’t earn him enough praise. But the super coach sees things differently.
It was also refreshing to see the man who coached the likes of Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick, praise the Russian because he doesn’t get much of it from the western world.
Medvedev is playing currently under a neutral flag in every tournament due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Tennis being more dominant in countries such as Western Europe, UK and USA, means that a player as good as Medvedev, won’t be talked about much by most experts.
However, Macci is not affected and was kind to rate Medvedev above many others before him.
Will Medvedev go past the likes of del Potro, Cilic and Raonic?
Like Medvedev, Juan del Potro remains famous for winning the US Open once in his career, which was back in 2009. The Argentine star is above 6 foot 5 inches and was known for his brutal forehands, especially on hard courts.
Croatia’s Marin Cilic is also a US Open champion, having won it back in 2014. Just like what happened with del Potro, Cilic’s career and momentum were cut short due to multiple injuries. However, he managed to win 20 ATP titles.
Canada’s Milos Raonic has been a top 3 player in the past and arguably, the best men’s player the country has produced till date. Raonic too is extremely tall and is considered as one of the most dangerous servers in tennis till date.
Seeing their careers, Medvedev needs to be mindful of two things. One being that his height should not cause him more injuries as that will always remain a threat, especially with him being a hard court specialist. And the other being that he needs to be versatile.
If Medvedev beats Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon 2024 semi-final, it could well mean that the Russian has turned a new leaf in his career and have another shot at winning a Grand Slam after the US Open 2021.
