"I know at the end of the year, unless I try to win every tournament that is left, it’s probably going to be Rafael Nadal for year-end World No. 1" - Daniil Medvedev gears up for final stretch of the season

Although Daniil Medvedev did not play in the 2022 Wimbledon Championships due to a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, he came out of the tournament a winner. Thanks to the ATP's decision not to award any ranking points at SW19, the Russian reclaimed the World No. 1 position from Novak Djokovic in June and has spent the last eight weeks unimpeded at the top of the world.

However, with the North American hardcourt swing coming up next, the position is under threat, as Medvedev has a lot of ranking points to defend over the next couple of months. The Russian had title runs at the US Open and National Bank Open last year, combined with runner-up finishes at the ATP Tour Finals and Paris Masters. He also had a semifinal exit at the Cincinnati Open, all of which combined leave the World No. 1 with 4,960 points to defend until the end of the year.

The 26-year-old himself knows what is at stake, admitting in a recent interview with ATPTour.com that he was watching the battle for the No. 1 spot as closely as the fans. Interestingly, the Russian sees 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal as his main threat in the race to finish the year as the top dog.

Nadal, winner of both the Australian Open and the French Open this year, has a 35-3 win/loss record in 2022 so far, and is looking every bit unbeatable. Having missed the final stretch of the season last year, the World No. 3 also has nothing to defend for the remainder of the season, meaning that Medvedev is right to be wary of the Mallorcan.

The reigning US Open champion, however, is not panicking just yet, remarking that he is confident in his ability to recreate his form from last year and retain the No. 1 spot for a long time.

“For sure I’m watching [the battle for No. 1] a little bit,” Daniil Medvedev said. “Depends also the moment because I know at the end of the year, unless I try to win every tournament that is left, it’s probably going to be Rafa [Nadal] for [year-end World No. 1]. But at the same time, I can keep it for quite a long time I feel like if I play good here in the [North American hardcourt swing].”

Instead of losing himself in the minutae, Daniil Medvedev has all but one tactic to retain his hold on the top spot -- win tournaments. The points will follow as long as he continues to win matches, and Medvedev reckons he has what it takes to keep accomplishing the latter.

“I know that the most important is to try to win tournaments, try to win those points,” Daniil Medvedev said. “Then you can keep [World No. 1].”

"Every opponent can be tough so the more matches you win, the more confidence you gain" - Daniil Medvedev

Daniil Medvedev will kick off his North American hardcourt swing at the Los Cabos Open in Mexico

While most players have chosen to kick off their US Open series at the Washington Open this week, Daniil Medvedev has opted to return to action at the ATP250 event in Los Cabos, Mexico. The Russian last played competitive tennis in June, losing in the quarterfinals of the Mallorca Open to Roberto Bautista Agut in unexpected fashion.

Regarding how he plans to play himself back into form, the 26-year-old responded that his primary focus at the moment is simply to get more match time under his belt in preparation for the big tournaments coming up ahead. Irrespective of the opponent, Medvedev believes he can do his best as long as he has the confidence of continued success in the back of his mind.

“Tough to say. It’s always different, but for sure winning matches is the most important,” Daniil Medvedev said. “Every opponent can be tough so the more matches you win, the more confidence you gain, the more you start feeling your game better, what you have to do better, so that’s what I’m going to try to do here in Los Cabos.”