WIMBLEDON, England — Daniil Medvedev needed to skip the Wimbledon event final yr, and never as a result of he needed to.

The 2021 U.S. Open champion was banned from the All England Club, identical to each different Russian and Belarusian tennis participant, due to the conflict in Ukraine.

“It was amazing to be back at Wimbledon,” mentioned the 27-year-old Russian, who achieved his greatest consequence on the grass-court Grand Slam this week by reaching the semifinals. “I’m going to try even harder next few years.”

When Medvedev received the U.S. Open two years in the past, he stopped Novak Djokovic from finishing the primary calendar-year Grand Slam on the lads’s tour since 1969. With a win on Friday, he would have confronted Djokovic in a 3rd Grand Slam closing.

That win by no means got here - Medvedev misplaced to Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday.

The top-ranked Alcaraz changed Medvedev as U.S. Open champion by profitable the event in New York in 2022. And it’ll be Alcaraz that will get to face Djokovic on Sunday within the Wimbledon closing after enjoying what he known as “one of my best matches.”

“Not only on grass, but on the tour,” Alcaraz mentioned, summing up the match performed below the roof on Centre Court due to persistent rain within the London space.

The rating undoubtedly wasn’t on Medvedev’s aspect, however the followers certain had been - particularly when he earned his solely two breaks of serve towards Alcaraz within the third set.

“Amazing. Amazing,” Medvedev mentioned of the group help. “Even today, as I said throughout the two weeks, they were going for the underdog. I was losing in the match, so they were supporting me, supporting me like crazy. I felt like they wanted the match to prolong.”

That encouragement he felt over the past 12 or so days wasn’t confined to the grass courts of the All England Club, apparently.

“Generally, if I saw anyone in the city, if anyone saw me in the city, or in the cafes or stuff like this, it was a great, great atmosphere,” Medvedev mentioned. “Really grateful. Will be happy to come back to England many more times.”

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