“I Don’t Care if Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal Are There or Not” – Daniil Medvedev

It’s no secret that the absences of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have left quite an impression on this year’s US Open. Although the two icons often meet towards the end of the tournament, they produced a level of tennis which the new generation of players look up to. However, the show must go on, which is a point World No. 2 Daniil Medvedev emphasized after his quarterfinal win this Tuesday.

Daniil Medvedev makes a bold admission after US Open quarterfinal win

Although the Russian dropped his first set in this year’s US Open, he put in an excellent performance to beat Dutch qualifier Botic Van de Zandschulp. This ensured he would appear in the semifinals of the hard court Grand Slam for the third year in a row.

During the post-match press conference, Medvedev mentioned how Federer and Nadal often met in the semifinals of Grand Slams. He also added they made it so far because they were exceptional players of the game.

He said, “I think for me it’s actually more about that when they were a bit younger or even few years ago, we always saw them in semis. They were in the top four so they couldn’t meet each other before semis, and almost all the Grand Slams they were in semis. So they were taking all the spots, just because they are the greatest in the history of tennis. They are amazing tennis players.”

The 25-year-old then mentioned that their absences least bother him in his quest for a maiden Grand Slam. “I don’t care if Roger or Rafa is here,” he said. “I want to win the tournament. It’s going to be tougher if they were here, and of course it would be tougher if they would be 30 years old. But I just want to do my best, so I don’t care if they are here or not.”

READ MORE: Unorthodox but Effective: The Mystery Behind Daniil Medvedev’s Style of Play

Medvedev to face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semifinals of the US Open

The second seed will face the 12th seeded Canadian on Friday, September 10. While Medvedev looks to reach the US Open final for the second time in three years, Auger-Aliassime is aiming to reach his maiden Grand Slam final.

The pair faced off in the National Bank Open earlier this year, where Medvedev won a three-set thriller. Can the Russian notch another victory over the talented Canadian?

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