Will Medvedev return only after Wimbledon? Stormy reaction to the news of Daniel’s surgery

Two days after losing in the quarterfinals of the Masters in Miami, Daniel Medvedev wrote on his social networks that he was forced to interrupt his performances: “Hello everyone! I played the last few months with a hernia. Together with the team we decided to have a small surgery. The recovery may take 1 to 2 months, and I will do my best to get back on the court as soon as possible. Thank you all for your support.

It seems that Daniil informed his fans about the surgery after the fact, as he immediately posted a photo from the hospital room. The tennis player did not write anything about his well-being, did not give any comments on how it went. But judging by the fact that he finds the strength to joke, he is doing fine.

The news of Medvedev’s surgery and the pause in his performance sparked a strong reaction from the tennis world. Most experts agree that his health is more important than ranking points and victories, and the recovery period for Medvedev could be quick. For example, former top-10 player and 1989 Roland Garros semifinalist Andrei Chesnokov called Medvedev’s decision to undergo surgery before the clay season a wise one in an interview with Championship: “There are different hernias: umbilical, vertebral, inguinal – it’s all very important. With a spinal hernia, for example, it takes two to three months to recover. If you decide to do surgery, it’s a good time for Medvedev. Still, the land-court season for him was not the most brilliant last year. He took the main points at the end of the season. Now we need to focus on the second half of the year. Doing the surgery is a pretty wise decision.”

So when should we expect Daniel to return? Will he be able to return to Roland Garros? For example, Shamil Tarpischev, the president of the FTR, does not see a tragedy in the current situation: “It is not critical for Medvedev to miss a month, but missing the clay means that he will not be able to play on it and become better there. Danya may have aggravated that little hernia. It’s an injury that is not unexpected. He shouldn’t have any problems after it in tennis in the future. If he misses really only a month, he may recover for Roland Garros. Yes, he’ll have to start on the clay, but if he’s lucky with the draw, he can try.

Vladimir Kamelzon, the Merited coach of Russia, believes Medvedev should take his time and come back after the season on grass in order not to contradict the demands of the British Minister of Sport, who wants separate conditions for Russian tennis players: “An operation is an operation. It’s a serious matter. An operation is a serious matter. I know what it is, Daniil may not even have two months. It’s probably a good time for the operation not to get into a fight with the British sports minister. Medvedev’s team did everything right. Medvedev will get back on his feet and go out to play. A couple of tournaments will be enough to get him fit. I think he’ll be ready for the US Open. He’ll have enough time. He’s doing a good job and he’s been playing tournaments in five sets for a long time. He’ll be fine. There’s no problem.

Our only other Wimbledon finalist Alexander Metreveli agrees with him and says there’s no problem if Medvedev misses both clay and grass: “You could tell he wasn’t playing well. It was hard to determine what was bothering him. Is it critical that he misses the entire grass season? Maybe miss the primer season and maybe Wimbledon. Maybe that’s a good thing, since the dirt and grass aren’t really his coverages. Most importantly, he needs to validate the results he’s had. I don’t know if he’ll be able to do that. If surgery has to be done, it’s better to do it now. How much can a hernia knock you out of the season? In principle, it’s not a difficult surgery. It all depends on what kind of hernia and how the recovery after surgery will go. It`s hard to say, I don`t think anyone can give him a precise date.