"I'm happy to follow in Novak Djokovic's footsteps in some way" - Hamad Medjedovic on Next Gen ATP Finals win

Following his title win at the Next Gen ATP Finals, Hamad Medjedovic expressed his joy in treading the same path as Novak Djokovic.

Medjedovic defeated Arthur Fils 3-4(6), 4-1, 4-2, 3-4(9), 4-1 in two hours and 11 minutes at the King Abdullah Sports City to win the 2023 Next Gen ATP Finals. The Serb dominated the game, winning 88% (61/69) of points on his first serve. He capitalized on his third match point to ultimately secure the win.

The 20-year-old became the sixth Next Gen ATP Finals champion, joining players such as Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Following his win, Hamad Medjedovic said that Novak Djokovic winning the 2023 ATP Finals and him following the World No. 1's footsteps to win the Next Gen ATP Finals was a "huge thing" for him.

"Two of us from Serbia. He won the big Masters, the real one, and I won the Next Gen. Obviously it's a huge thing and I'm happy to follow in his footsteps in some way," Medjedovic said (via ATP Tour).

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"It's going to give me a lot of confidence for 2024" - Hamad Medjedovic after winning Next Gen ATP Finals

Hamad Medjedovic with the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy

Following his win against Arthur Fils, Hamad Medjedovic shared his thoughts on his successful campaign, saying that clinching the Next Gen title will boost his confidence for the upcoming season.

"I can’t believe I have won this title, but it's going to give me a lot of confidence for 2024," Medjedovic said (via ATP Tour). "Arthur is an amazing player; he's Top 40 for a reason, so I'm really happy."

The Serb acknowledged that the match was challenging, as he encountered several difficulties that could have led to his defeat had he not recovered after the first set. He said that his victory was only possible because he managed to remain calm and maintain his composure.

"It was tough after the first set. I changed my clothes and recovered and started to play good again. I didn't play good when I had match points in the fourth set. I wasn't relaxed, I was very stiff. Thank God I recovered and I was just trying to stay relaxed as much as I could and I managed to do it in the end,” he added.

Hamad Medjedovic delivered an impressive performance, unleashing a total of 34 winners during the match, 19 of which were aces. He finished the tournament with a tally of 69 aces. No other player in the history of the event has managed to hit this many aces.