Responding to a question on whether he was feeling more pressure, he said: “No, not at all, to be honest. When I just came on the tour, when you play your first Grand Slam or, I don’t know, first quarterfinal of a slam, first Masters final, you feel tight. It’s not an easy feeling, but sometimes it actually helps you to play good.
“I don’t have it anymore. I know how to win Masters. Okay, just need to play good. Need to fight, need to run well, hit some big forehands or whatever.”
Medvedev found himself in the same situation at the Miami Masters earlier this year, with all of the big three absent from the draw there, but was unable to seize his opportunity and lost in the quarter-final.
He added: “I have zero pressure being the No 1 seed. I actually feel it’s an honour, I would say, because means that you’re high in the rankings, playing great tennis, have a lot of points. So, yeah, it’s an honour for me to be No 1 seed in Masters for the second time, but no pressure at all.”
