Daniil Medvedev retired from his Madrid Open quarter-final after telling the physio that he couldn’t move. The world No. 4 was the highest-ranked player left in the draw but he was forced to give up after dropping the first set 6-4 to Jiri Lehecka.
Medvedev sparked fears when he called the physio just five games into his match on Thursday night. As the trainer started assessing his upper right-thigh, the Russian said: “Tough to say because when I stretch I don’t feel, but when I move I basically cannot move.”
But he was fine with the treatment, adding: “When you touch, it’s fine.” The physio determined that a medical time out would be the best solution, informing the umpire that they would be doing it off-court. As Medvedev walked off, he was deep in conversation with the trainer.
“Saw him sort of grimace a couple of times in the previous game,” commentator Nick Lester said. “So Medvedev having been evaluated by the trainer here is gonna go off. Very deep discussion, discussion continues [in the tunnel]. Looked like a sort of groin area, didn’t it?”
Robbie Koenig added: “Definitely the groin area, that’s why often players that are really moving aggressively, sliding like that, have hip problems.” Medvedev eventually returned to the court and continued playing.
But as he served at 3-3, he was forced to save two break points as he visibly struggled. “I have a gut feel that he’s not going to finish this match, Nick. That is what I’m seeing in front of me,” Koenig remarked. “Just don’t feel like he trusts his feet right now to get in position for the ball,” Lester responded.
Medvedev managed to fend off Lehecka and held serve but the physio was back out at the next changeover as he continued to massage the affected area. “[It’s a] bit better but I’m so scared, I’m so scared,” Medvedev said, explaining that he had taken an anti-inflammatory an hour before the match.
