Daniil Medvedev has faced and defeated many greats of the game, from both the previous generation and the new era.
Medvedev has earned five wins against 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, the biggest of which came in the 2021 US Open final, where he clinched his first Grand Slam title.
The Russian was also able to secure a victory over Rafael Nadal, overcoming the king of clay at the ATP Finals in 2020.
From the current crop of young stars, Medvedev has defeated the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on multiple occasions.
However, the one legend he never managed to take down was Roger Federer, which the 29-year-old recently touched on ahead of the Cincinnati Open.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty ImagesDaniil Medvedev says why he struggled against Roger Federer
When asked in an interview with BB Tennis if there is a player today he finds unpleasant to play against, Medvedev answered: “No, probably one is missing.
“There are, in principle, many different players who can be unpleasant, for example, Popyrin, he always plays well against me.
“But you can find many of them, so there probably won’t be just one.
“I think before it could have been Roger [Federer]. Unfortunately, when I played with him, I wasn’t there at the level I am at, well, not now, but a year ago.
“So I can’t say for sure, but it might have been Roger.”
Daniil Medvedev’s winless record against Roger Federer
Medvedev and Federer played each other three times on the ATP Tour, the first of which came in 2018 at the Shanghai Masters.
The Swiss star opened his account in the rivalry, winning in three sets at the event.
YearMatchWinner2019Miami Round of 16Federer2018Basel SemifinalFederer2018Shanghai Round of 32FedererDaniil Medvedev’s head-to-head record against Roger Federer
Their next meeting came later on that season on Federer’s home soil, when they faced each other in the Basel semifinal, which Medvedev lost in straight sets.
In their third and final bout in 2019, the 20-time Grand Slam winner handed his opponent one more defeat in the round of 16 at the Miami Open.