{"id":15774,"date":"2025-06-26T08:08:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/15774\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T08:08:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T08:08:11","slug":"daniil-medvedev-responds-when-asked-if-hed-rather-win-a-grand-slam-or-become-world-number-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/15774\/","title":{"rendered":"Daniil Medvedev responds when asked if he’d rather win a Grand Slam or become world number one"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Daniil Medvedev is slowly finding his footing in 2025, as he makes his presence felt on the grass.<\/strong><\/p>\n

After suffering a disappointing first-round exit at the French Open, Medvedev<\/a> lost his second-round match at the Libema Open on grass.<\/p>\n

Bouncing back, Medvedev beat Daniel Altmaier, Quentin Halys, and Alex Michelsen en route to the Halle Open<\/a> semi-finals.<\/p>\n

There, the Russian picked up his biggest win of the season, as Medvedev defeated Alexander Zverev<\/a> in three sets 7-6, 6-7, 6-4.<\/p>\n

\"DaniilPhoto by Thomas F. Starke\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Advancing to the final, Medvedev fell to Alexander Bublik<\/a>, 3-6, 6-7, missing out on a chance to win his first title since May 2023.<\/p>\n

When the 29-year-old was ranked number one in the world, one year after his US Open<\/a> win in 2021, few would have predicted he would ever have to wait 24 months for a title.<\/p>\n

During a recent interview, Medvedev was asked which of the two achievements, the number one ranking or the Grand Slam win, was more valuable to him.<\/p>\n

Daniil Medvedev says winning a Grand Slam is \u2018100%\u2019 more valuable than being world number one<\/p>\n

Before Wimbledon, Medvedev was asked by Russian media outlet Bolshe whether he would prefer to win a Grand Slam or become world number one.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cGrand Slam 100%,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, when you win a Grand Slam, very often, it can give you a big push, a lot of points to become the world number one.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth are valuable, but I think a Grand Slam is more valuable. I think only Marcelo Rios was number one without winning a Grand Slam. We talk about it a lot, but we never talk about players who have won Slams but weren\u2019t number one.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t say \u2018This was the guy who won a Slam but wasn\u2019t world number one\u2019, nobody says that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DaniilPhoto by Rene Nijhuis\/MB Media\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Medvedev named Rios as an example: the only player in ATP Tour<\/a> history to have held the number one ranking without winning a Grand Slam title.<\/p>\n

Marcelo Rios: The world number one who never won a Grand Slam<\/p>\n

Chile\u2019s Marcelo Rios enjoyed a legendary tennis career, competing on the ATP Tour from 1994 to 2004.<\/p>\n

He enjoyed a breakthrough in 1997, winning his first Masters 1000 title at the Monte-Carlo Masters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rios was the only player in 1997 to reach the fourth round of all four Grand Slam events (Australian Open \u2013 QF, French Open 4R, Wimbledon \u2013 4R, US Open \u2013 QF), as he finished the year ranked number ten in the world.<\/p>\n

\"Marcelo30 Jan 1998: Marcelo Rios of Chile in action during the semi final against Nicolas Escude of France in the Australian Open at Melbourne Park, Australia. Rios won the match. Mandatory Credit: Clive Brunskill\/Allsport<\/p>\n

Few could have predicted what was to come, however, as the Chilean dominated tennis for the first few months of the 1998 season, reaching his first Grand Slam final, and picking up three titles.<\/p>\n