"If I'm happy with the fourth round, I better stop playing tennis" - Daniil Medvedev offers worrying update on tennis future

This US Open proved to be another false horizon for Daniil Medvedev. The 2021 champion and former World No.1 has failed to reach those heights in recent times, and he is starting to question the point of continuing playing tennis following a straight set defeat against Frances Tiafoe in the last-16 of the US Open.

Medvedev has struggled for form and consistency throughout these past couple of years which has seen him fall down the rankings. Glimmers of his old self has showcased itself in events like at Indian Wells when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final before pushing eventual champion Jannik Sinner in the final. Titles in Brisbane and Dubai this year have shown the best qualities of the Russian, but they have been overshadowed by some really disappointing results.

A chance started to rise at the US Open on a favourable surface and location for the 30-year-old. He produced solid performances to defeat Hugo Gaston, Sebastian Gornzy and Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets.

However, he would stutter against Tiafoe in a painful 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(6) loss. Medvedev had a chance to serve out the first set before missing a set point in the third and ultimately final one. Another huge hammer blow for Medvedev who leaves North America not satisfied with his work.

Medvedev can take a load of positives from this week of tennis, but overall the fact it ended on such a sour note bugs him deeply. He was adamant that the last-16 was not a good result and that if he was to be satisfied with it, he may as well call it a day in terms of his tennis career.

"It's like today's match. It's not bad, but if I'm happy with the fourth round, I better stop playing tennis," Medvedev stated after the defeat.

The performances he put in beforehand were a step in the right direction, but he could not contain his frustration over his display against Tiafoe. "I'm not happy with the result. I'm happy with the way I managed to turn things around, kind of. Played three good matches. Maybe if you talk about rankings, [my] first two opponents, coming from qualies, wildcard.

"But Arthur [Rinderknech] is a tough opponent, and I managed to beat him three sets to love. But today, disappointing match, disappointing level. So I'm definitely not happy, but it's maybe a bit better than what I would expect after the three US tournaments before."

The way tennis works, there is not much time before Medvedev will be back on court and competing for some more big titles. The Asian swing is the next chance for the World No.8 to put in some statement displays and try to find his old self on court.

He had belief that his fortunes could soon change. “I think that's the beauty of sport. Tennis is anything can happen in a matter of a couple of weeks. Sometimes it's magic," he said.

“At this moment, I guess I'm doubting myself a little bit, and that's the case of today's match. You know, we can talk about Frances, we can talk about me, but the reality is I lost three sets to love, and I know I can play ten times better than I did today. Was it a bad match? No, but I can play so much better. If I want to win Grand Slams, I need to play better. That's basically it. I do believe I can, because I show it from time to time on the tennis court. But I just need to become more consistent and play better more times.”

Medvedev has a lot of tennis to play in China, beginning with the Hangzhou Open. He will then be involved in a stacked China Open ahead of the Shanghai Masters, the penultimate Masters 1000 event of the year.