Medvedev On Battle For No. 1: ‘For Sure I’m Watching A Little Bit’

Daniil Medvedev returns to action this week at the Abierto de Tenis Mifel in Los Cabos, where the tournament debutant knows he needs to hit the ground running.

Medvedev is the No. 1 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, but he is under pressure for top spot. Entering the week, he leads World No. 2 Alexander Zverev by just 775 points. The 26-year-old will also be defending 1,000 points next week in Canada at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

“For sure I’m watching [the battle for No. 1] a little bit,” Medvedev told ATPTour.com. “Depends also the moment because I know at the end of the year, unless I try to win every tournament that is left, it’s probably going to be Rafa [Nadal] for [year-end No. 1]. But at the same time, I can keep it for quite a long time I feel like if I play good here in the [North American hard-court swing].”

This will be Medvedev’s 11th week at World No. 1, and he is currently in the midst of his second stint atop men’s tennis’ mountain. But Medvedev is currently sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Race To Turin, which means five players have earned more points than him this season and could threaten for World No. 1 as the year continues.

Although Medvedev is aware of the situation, he does not follow closely enough to know exactly how many points he must win each week to maintain his place. The four-time ATP Masters 1000 champion is more focussed on the matches in front of him.

“I know that the most important is to try to win tournaments, try to win those points,” Medvedev said. “Then you can keep [World No. 1].”

The top seed in Los Cabos will be competing for the first time since the Mallorca Championships in June. What will be the key for him to quickly regain rhythm?

“Tough to say. It’s always different, but for sure winning matches is the most important,” said Medvedev, who will open his tournament against wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez or a qualifier. “Every opponent can be tough so the more matches you win, the more confidence you gain, the more you start feeling your game better, what you have to do better, so that’s what I’m going to try to do here in Los Cabos.”