“Was Really Uncoordinated”: Daniil Medvedev Tells Iga Swiatek Why His Style is Unconventional

It is not very often that tennis professionals from men and women sides interact with each other; however, it is also not uncommon. That is why it makes for a memorable conversation every time. And recently, ATP World No.2 Daniil Medvedev and WTA World No.11 Iga Swiatek came together and gave such a special treat to tennis fans.

Notably, the duo came live on Instagram on sports company Tecnifibre’s handle, their mutual racquet sponsor. What’s more interesting, Swiatek gave Medvedev a new nickname and asked about his unconventional playing style. In response, the 25-year-old Russian explained how he developed the much-debated technique.

Funnily enough, the 20-year-old Polish professional compared Medvedev’s backhand with a pretzel. For this, the Russian told Swiatek, “It’s going to be one of my many nicknames.”

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Daniil Medvedev tells Iga Swiatek how he developed his unconventional technique

Famously, the reigning US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has impressed the tennis world with his unique technique. However, not many knew the origin of the Russian’s playing style. Not until he told last year’s French Open champion, Iga Swiatek.

“When I was young, I was really uncoordinated. So that’s how I was playing; everyone was hitting strong at me, I was doing lobs. And I have nothing much to it,” Medvedev told Swiatek during the Tecnifibre Instagram Live.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old stated how his need to win shaped the unconventional style into a technique. Little did he know that what he started to annoy his opponents would one day beat World No.1, Novak Djokovic, in a Grand Slam final.

“I was not doing amazing technically, but I always wanted to win,” Medvedev continued. “So I tried to find the shots that would annoy my opponents because they were better than me technically, physically better. But I needed to win, so I think that’s how my technique developed.”

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What’s next for Medvedev and Swiatek on their respective tours?

Interestingly, both Medvedev and Swiatek have qualified for the year-ending ATP Finals and WTA Finals, respectively. But before that, they will compete at one or two other tour-level events.

Moreover, as a defending champion, Medvedev will be looking forward to defending his season-ending championships title. On the other side, Swiatek will be excited to debut in the WTA Finals.

All in all, both Medvedev and Swiatek have had a pretty successful 2021 season. Let’s see if the two manage to end it on a similar note.

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