"I like tennis and still win a lot of money" – Daniil Medvedev dismisses retirement talk after Rotterdam exit

Things haven’t been going Daniil Medvedev’s way in recent weeks. The Russian player suffered another early exit, this time at the Rotterdam Open, leaving many questioning his form and future.

However, when asked if retirement had crossed his mind, Medvedev made it clear that he is still fully committed to the sport.

Medvedev entered Rotterdam as the second seed and started well, securing a first-round victory against Stan Wawrinka. In the second round, he faced 23-year-old Italian Mattia Bellucci, who pulled off a stunning upset, winning 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 in a tightly contested battle.

Bellucci showed great mental resilience, keeping his composure after missing a match point in the second-set tiebreak before sealing the win in the third. His aggressive approach on return proved crucial, as he won 58% of Medvedev’s second-serve points and constantly applied pressure.

The victory marked Bellucci’s first win over a top-10 player, a significant milestone in his career. Speaking after the match, Bellucci shared his excitement about the breakthrough moment.

"It was an intense three-hour match, and I loved every moment of it," Bellucci shared.

"I gave my all out there. I'm exhausted, but very happy with how it went."

"I tried to enjoy every minute of it. I tried to have fun on the court and be myself as much as possible. I hit the serve and volley a bit and hit the underarm serve. I wanted to be myself, but I saw him far back. I think I used it to move him a little bit from there. I don't want to be disrespectful.

"I felt that I had to enjoy every moment of this match. This is a big result, so I will enjoy it."

Following his defeat, Medvedev acknowledged that he found the conditions difficult in Rotterdam.

"Slow courts, slow balls, but it's not new. I don’t have enough power to dictate the game in these conditions."

Despite recent setbacks, Medvedev firmly rejected any suggestion of retirement, making it clear that he still enjoys the sport and remains financially motivated to continue competing.

"No, I mean, I don’t even know what to say about this. I like tennis and still win a lot of money, so I will continue playing until I can."

"If I drop out of the Top 100, then I don’t know, but this will probably not happen. And I’m pretty sure I can come back strong enough. That’s it."

Medvedev remains one of the best players in the world, and despite his current struggles, he is confident that he will find his rhythm again.