"He is a born competitor" says former pro Jean-Rene Lisnard of Daniil Medvedev comparing him to Rafael Nadal

Lisnard is most famous for representing Monaco internationally and remains the only Monegasque player to ever win a single match in a Grand Slam main draw. The former longtime tennis player spoke after Medvedev won his maiden Grand Slam expressing how he simply knew he would do it. Lisnard, as a Monaco resident, has been able to observe Medvedev closely as he lives and trains in Monaco for a while now. He said:

"It's easy to say it after everything is finished but I knew he was going to win this US Open. I have witnesses who can confirm this (laughs). Beyond that, what I mean is that I am not surprised. Daniil has already lost two Grand Slam finals, and saw how he hates a defeat, that it was inconceivable to lose a third. Daniil is a born competitor, he hates losing."

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Lisnard likened his competitive spirit to that of Rafael Nadal even though he admitted that he doesn't know how many Grand Slams Medvedev will win. He said:

"For that, he looks like Nadal. I cannot say how many Grand Slam titles he will win, but I am sure he will be world number 1 one day."

It's something that is widely expected to happen with some even believing it could have happened this year. The gap is not too much but Medvedev is defending big points in the next few months having won the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals last year.