Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion and current world No. 9, has opened up about the unusual start to his campaign at the Masters tournament in Rome, Italy, where he played his first match only at the beginning of the second week.
On Monday, May 11, Medvedev (seeded 7th) defeated Spain’s Pablo Llamas Ruiz, the world No. 139 and a qualifier, with a score of 3:6, 6:4, 6:2 in the third round of the Rome Masters. This was Medvedev’s first match of the Rome 2026 tournament. He was originally scheduled to face Czech player Tomas Machac in his opening match, but Machac withdrew from the competition.
Pablo Llamas Ruiz (Q) – 1:2 – Daniil Medvedev (7)
(3-6, 6-4, 6-2)
“Daniil, what’s it like to start the tournament on the Monday of the second week, when many big names have already dropped out—Novak Djokovic, Ben Shelton, Alexander Bublik, even Aryna Sabalenka? How did you prepare and stay sharp throughout the week? Were you bored?”
“Well, I just trained. Basically, you just train and prepare. On the day Machac withdrew, I didn’t know about it in the morning, so I was really upset that I had to get up so early. I hate waking up that early. I had to get up at 6:45 AM. I arrived at the courts, got ready for the match, and then I found out he had pulled out. We practiced and then went home to rest. I found out about it here. Yeah, these things happen; he was sick. I hope it’s nothing serious. For my part, I could only keep preparing, and I’m glad I managed to win today,” Medvedev said in an interview.
The draw and schedule for the Rome Masters are now available. Related articles: Rybakina reaches quarterfinals in Rome! Rublev, Medvedev, and Mirra also win. Live updates.
