Daniil Medvedev: Tribute to the newly crowned Nitto ATP Finals Champion

From losing all the matches in last year's ATP Finals which proved to be a disastrous debut for the Russian, to winning the tournament this year by staying unbeaten, Medvedev has made a terrific turnaround

Daniil Medvedev's shots do not crackle, they nestle. Such is the deceptive genius of the man who plays in an unorthodox manner. He always puts his opponents in an awkward position on the court by varying the pace and direction of his shots along with hypnotic accuracy and tremendous consistency. 

Medvedev deserved to win the title having defeated the World number 1 Novak Djokovic, number 2 Rafael Nadal, and number 3 Dominic Thiem in a row. 

He also became the first Russian to win the ATP Finals since Nikolay Davydenko in 2009. It was his biggest triumph till date as Medvedev clinched his 9th title in his career.  The Russsian later labelled his win in the finals as one of the toughest victory in his life. 

Daniil Medvedev had gone without any titles till the Paris Masters where he defeated Alexander Zverev in three sets. He is now on a 10-match winning streak. From reaching six finals in a row in 2019, his confidence and his level of game rose when he moved to London. 

The Russian defeated seven top-10 ranked players in Paris and London indicating the kind of form he was in. 

The main strength of Medvedev lies in his impenetrable defense, missile-like serves, the control from the baseline, and a successful serve and volley strategy. Sometimes his first serve may not be firing, but his second serve has a lot of topspin that moves slowly through the air but explodes off the court to kick up high around the returner's shoulders. 

His modern game style is a lethal mix of aggressive tennis from the baseline and constantly hunting the short ball. 

With Roger Federer expected to make a comeback post his recovery from knee surgery in the 2021 Australian Open, Medvedev will be part of a new series of long-running rivalries in men's tennis next year.

Another great character in Medvedev is that he shows calm grit even in situations when he is down. Adaptation is his biggest asset as he can turn losing patterns with unconventional yet brutally effective tennis. 

He is great in switching between different tactics and plays dangerous when is feeling good mentally. He has finished the season with a bang with his strong performance and two titles in a row. 

A grand slam triumph awaits the star next year. 

Featured Image Credits - atptour.com