(Reuters) – Daniil Medvedev said his on-court outbursts at Indian Wells were a distraction to himself and he would be better off shutting up and playing the game instead.
The fifth-seeded Russian is not a fan of the slow hardcourts at the tournament and has vented his frustration during his matches.
“I think it actually distracts me and I’d be better just shutting up and playing. That’s what I should do,” Medvedev, who beat Alexander Zverev on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals, said. “But at the same time, that’s how I am.
“When I was much younger, I was actually worse. I tried to mature. I do think that in many aspects of my life and in my tennis career I’ve matured a lot. And I’m better than I was three, four years ago.
“The attitude I had on the court today and with (Ilya) Ivashka was immature. But what else can I say? That’s also this high-intensity sport where you’re one on one against the opponent and it brings the heat out of you.
“Some players are capable of controlling it better than others. Some are controlling it less, like me. So that’s my character, and that’s my personality, also.”
The world number six said he had worked on improving his behaviour with the help of a mental coach and he wanted to be remembered not for his tantrums but for his game and the “good parts of my personality”.
“I want to have good relationship with all the guys on the court, because I can also understand that this can distract my opponent, and that’s not what I want. I don’t care to win a match distracting my opponent. I want to win it normally,” he said.
“That’s something I work on constantly. I’m sure I’m going to only improve and improve on this case.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel)
