Former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev builds his perfect player with Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and more

Former World No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev has become one of the most successful players born in the 1990s. He is, alongside retired Dominic Thiem, the only player from that decade to have won a Grand Slam title. But, who would the Russian star choose to build his perfect player?

In an interview with the ATP Tour from September 2023, Medvedev was asked to choose the best shots from any player, retired or active, including himself. For the forehand, he chose Roger Federer. “I think that was his best shot. Also, the way he set up with the slice for his forehand—once you hit it to that side, you were in trouble,” he said.

Then, for backhand, he went with Dominic Thiem. “Just because I love when he smashes his backhand down the line or cross-court. I think he does it really well,” he said. Meanwhile, for serve, he picked Nick Kyrgios. “Especially for his height. He has one of the best serves ever. The combination of his power and precision is probably the best,” he explained.

For the return, he went with Novak Djokovic. “The way he returns throughout his career is unreal,” Medvedev explained. Then, for the slice, he chose Steve Johnson and Federer. He also chose the Swiss star again for the net game, as well as Kyrgios. “I’ve played against both, and when they come to the net, it’s just so tough to do anything against them,” he told.

For touch, he chose Fabrice Santoro, while in speed, he said he would go with himself. “Carlos Alcaraz is unbelievably fast—maybe the fastest I’ve ever seen—but I love the way I run, so I’ll go with myself,” he said. He also chose Djokovic for his “unbelievable” flexibility.

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Former U.S. Open champion and World No.3 chooses the greatest player between Federer, Djokovic and Nadal

What about Rafael Nadal?

Medvedev didn’t forget Rafael Nadal, whom he chose for mental toughness. “Some of the matches he has won, the way he fights—it’s incredible. To be honest, all three—Roger, Rafa, and Novak—have that toughness, but I’ll go with Rafa,” he explained.

Meanwhile, he went for both Nadal and Djokovic for competitiveness. “We’re all competitive, but I have to pick Rafa and Novak. What they’ve achieved in their careers, and the matches we’ve witnessed between them, have been amazing,” he explained.

Nadal  celebrates in his match against Tommy Paul at the 2022 Paris Masters ( Julian Finney/Getty Images)

At last, but not least, he stuck to himself when it comes to celebrations. “I like my celebrations because I try to laugh about them, whether with myself, my friends, or my team,” he explained.

Medvedev’s career highlights

Daniil Medvedev has reached the world No. 1 ranking in men’s singles, a position determined by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Over his career, he has claimed 20 ATP Tour-level singles titles, highlighted by his victory at the 2021 US Open and his triumph at the 2020 ATP Finals.

Medvedev was also the first player outside the Big Four to reach the top ranking since Andy Roddick in 2004. He is also the third Russian man to achieve this milestone, following Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, and the 27th player overall to hold the No. 1 spot.