Daniil Medvedev appears to be currently invincible on the tennis court. The 23-year-old has made it to the finals of the last six ATP tournaments he has played. He won the Shanghai Masters on Sunday. The Russian player defeated Alexander Zverev in the final. Medvedev has credited his team for helping him improve this year.
Medvedev’s sports psychologist, Francisca Dauzet
Medvedev hired Francisca Dauzet, a psychologist, in 2018. He wanted Dauzet to assist him with his temper on the court. The Russian had problems with his temper as a junior player. He would often get into arguments with match umpires or his own coaching team which cost him matches. According to ESPN, Dauzet is interested in Chinese medicine and culture. She advised Daniil to start practicing meditation. He also practices Shaolin martial arts such as Kung Fu. The techniques are supposed to help Medvedev achieve a sense of calm and inner peace which he can tap into during matches.
Bianca Andreescu learned meditation from her mother
Dauzet’s recommendations seem to be working for Medvedev. The 23-year-old reached his first Grand Slam final this year at the US Open, losing to Rafael Nadal. Women’s US Open champion Bianca Andreescu also practices meditation. Her mother introduced her to meditation and visualization techniques when she was around twelve years old. She has been using the techniques ever since. The 19-year-old has achieved some outstanding results, winning three WTA titles this year. She is fifth on the rankings after starting the year outside the top 100 players in the world.
In addition to his psychologist, Medvedev has credited his coach Gilles Cervara for his improved performances. The two started working together in late 2017 after the world No.4 moved to France to find a new coach. They have formed a powerful connection that has translated to improved results on the court. Cervara has in the past describe Medvedev as a “genius.” He has said that since they started working together, their relationship has grown and they now understand each other perfectly. Following his win in Shanghai, Medvedev has now won three titles this year. The win was also his second at a Masters 1000 tournament after winning the Cincinnati Masters in August. The 23-year-old has a 59-17 win-loss record for the season. His 59 wins are the most by a player on tour. He has also played in more finals than any other player this year, reaching six finals. He has split the finals evenly, winning three and losing three.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.5 (career-high), Andreescu played her last match on the 4th of October when she lost to Naomi Osaka 5-7 6-3 6-4 in the quarter in Beijing.
This year the Canadian has a 46-5 win-loss record. The Canadian conquered 4 titles in 2019 in the Newport Beach, in Indian Wells, in Toronto and at the U.S. Open. Bianca Vanessa was the finalist in Auckland.
Daniil Medvedev’s ranking and performance in 2019
Ranked no.4 (career-high), Medvedev played his last match on the 13th of October when he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-4 6-1 in the final in Shanghai to win his 7th career title.
This year Medvedev has a 58-17 win-loss record. Medvedev clinched 4 titles in 2019 in Sofia, in Cincinnati, in St. Petersburg and in Shanghai. Medvedev was the finalist in Brisbane, in Barcelona, in Washington, in Montreal and at the U.S. Open.
Bianca Vanessa Andreescu and Daniil Medvedev |
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