Daniil Medvedev echoes Rafael Nadal's sentiments about 'finishing the season earlier,' complains about demanding tennis calendar

Daniil Medvedev has cited Rafael Nadal's example to reignite the discussion surrounding the duration of the tennis calendar. Medvedev echoed the legendary Spaniard's past sentiments on the subject following his 6-2, 6-4 win over Alex de Minaur at the ongoing 2024 Nitto ATP Finals.

Several prominent players in the past have voiced their concerns over the number of tournaments that they have to play throughout the year. Those concerns have once again come to the fore after it was recently announced that the ATP Masters 1000 events in Cincinnati and Canada will become two-week-long affairs from 2025.

This development means that starting next year, seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments will be played out across two weeks. Stefanos Tsitsipas, a former World No. 3, took a recent swipe at the ATP over the decision as he bemoaned the lack of "recovery or training time" needed by players to perform at their best.

The latest player to chime in with his thoughts on the tennis calendar debate is former World No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev. At a press conference following his emphatic win over Alex de Minaur at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals, Daniil Medvedev remembered Rafael Nadal's take on the subject and proceeded to deliver his own.

"Yeah, I remember Rafa once said it. The season should finish earlier, then you put all the 250s after for people that want to continue playing. If you're good enough, you finish the season in whatever, October, play in Masters. Doesn't matter. Doesn't count the tournaments after."

The Russian also referred to the recent sentiments voiced by Carlos Alcaraz. The young Spaniard talked about the grueling tennis season and how it has left him feeling mentally worn out. Alcaraz's admission came in the wake of his shock loss to Casper Ruud at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals.

"If you still feel like you need more points for Australian Open or more matches, you do it after. I think that's something to consider because Carlos said it yesterday," Medvedev added.

Rafael Nadal had prominently called out the hectic nature of the tennis calendar back in 2011, ahead of that year's edition of the US Open.

"The schedule is crazy. It’s crazy now, it was crazy before and it will still be crazy next year. You can’t make your body go to the limit for the whole year. It’s just not possible," Nadal had said.

Medvedev has also bemoaned the quality of tennis balls recently and how it has affected his results. The Russian, despite being the World No. 4, has no title to show for his efforts in 2024 so far. He has also found himself at the wrong end of several shock upsets.

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Daniil Medvedev expressed his displeasure at the balls being used at the Nitto ATP Finals 2024 following a loss to Taylor Fritz

Daniil Medvedev tosses his racket into the air in frustration after losing to Taylor Fritz at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals (Source: Getty)

The comprehensive win against Alex de Minaur has kept Daniil Medvedev in contention to reach the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals semifinals. However, the signs weren't good for the Russian after his first match at the year-end event, which he lost in straight sets to Taylor Fritz.

Medvedev cut a frustrated figure on multiple occasions throughout the encounter and, after the match, lamented the quality of the balls in use at the tournament. He opined that the nature of the balls makes it easier for every player to excel at long rallies. For a long time, winning extended rallies has been widely regarded as one of Medvedev's greatest strengths.

"The balls make that everyone can do it now. So not at all surprised. As I say, I feel like I'm in a big disadvantage, but I need to do something with it. For the moment, I couldn't find the exact way, like I can find the way through some matches like Shanghai, Beijing, even US Open. I can fight my way. I can try to find solutions during the match," Medvedev said.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner awaits Daniil Medvedev in the pair's final Round Robin match at the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals.