“Not Able to Retain His Poise”: Rafael Nadal’s Uncle Reveals Why Daniil Medvedev Lost to Novak Djokovic

Recently, the 2021 Australian Open came to a close with Novak Djokovic emerging victorious once more. In the final, he beat Russian star Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to seal an unprecedented 9th title at the event.

The match was a disappointment for a lot of fans as they were expecting a very tough contest. Instead, it turned out to be a very one-sided one and in a recent column, Rafael Nadal’s uncle Toni talked about what happened. He said,

“I’m sure Daniil came out to the Rod Laver Arena with all the information about Novak well analyzed, but he was not able to retain his poise, to overcome the frustration of delivering the first set, or to keep up the fight in those difficult moments. It surprises me that, sometimes, athletes of this level have that little capacity to face the difficulty.”

(Quotes have been translated using Google)

Toni Nadal on Why the Pressure Was Lesser on Novak Djokovic

Before their match, Medvedev looked confident and said that the pressure was all on Djokovic. However, it turned out to be the other way around and Toni revealed why. He said,

“A day before the final, he said that the pressure was higher for Djokovic , who cannot miss the opportunity to win titles if he wants to match Roger and Rafael. But the outcome of the match showed that the pressure was much greater for him.

“The difference between scoring a first Grand Slam or missing a new opportunity has an overwhelming weight, no matter how young you are.

The Australian Open was Medvedev’s second Major final. He is only 23 years old and he has a long career ahead of him. If he continues to improve, it shouldn’t be long before we see him dominating the ATP Tour and win many Grand Slams.

Also Read –“Don’t Feel Exhausted“: Novak Djokovic Prioritizes to Win More Majors After Australian Open 2021 Success