"I might just boycott matches" - Daniil Medvedev warns ATP he won't attend early morning fixtures if scheduling decision continues for years

Daniil Medvedev has said that towards the end of his career, he won't even set foot on the court if he's scheduled to contest the very first match of the day.

In tennis, apart from the very first match of the day, the rest of the matches have no set time. Unlike other sports, tennis matches can last anywhere between an hour to even five hours. A five-set contest often throws the schedule for a toss, with multiple lengthy battles sending the organizers and players into panic mode. Rain delays are another factor, though the weather is beyond anyone's control.

This uncertainty around the start of one's match is often agonizing for players. Thus, quite a few players do prefer to open the day's proceedings and remain stress free. However, in a quote given to the Guardian, Medvedev said he wasn't in favor of doing so.

While the former World No. 1 doesn't mind playing early now, he doesn't intend to do that once he's well into his 30s. He stated that an 11:00 a.m. start is too early, as one then has to begin their day at 6:30 a.m. Furthermore, it's difficult to do so if the previous match was contested in the evening.

"I was talking to my team today. I was like: ‘When I’m 35, I might just boycott the 11am matches.’ I’ll be like: ‘I’m not coming. Walkover.’ Like: ‘Yeah, I didn’t wake up. Sorry, guys.’ In my opinion, 11 is so early. You have to wake up at 6.30 in the morning, where, if you play at night, you wake up at 9am. So it changes the perspective of the match. It’s crazy mentally," Medvedev said.

The ongoing Cincinnati Open saw plenty of delays due to heavy rains. The extreme heat also bothered a lot of players, including Medvedev. However, he didn't have to bear with the adverse conditions for too long as he was sent packing rather quickly.

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Daniil Medvedev heads to the US Open 2025 in underwhelming form

Daniil Medvedev at the Canadian Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Following a first-round exit from Wimbledon, Daniil Medvedev began the hardcourt swing at the Citi DC Open. He won two matches before losing to Corentin Moutet in the quarterfinals.

The Russian then headed north for the Canadian Open, where he won only one match before being knocked out by Alexei Popyrin in the third round.

Medvedev's woes continued at the Cincinnati Open. Following a first-round bye, he took on Adam Walton in the second round. The Russian claimed the opening set but eventually lost the match in three sets.

Medvedev now heads to the US Open on the back of a 3-3 hardcourt record. He's a former champion in New York, winning the only Major title of his career in 2021.

Medvedev has usually performed quite well there, and has made the second week every year since his runner-up finish in 2019. He will aim to overturn his string of poor results with a resurgence at one of his favorite tournaments.