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Daniil Medvedev deserves credit for the decision he’s just made It’s fair to say Daniil Medvedev did not have the best time at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open on the North American hardcourt swing. The Russian star was knocked out of the round of 64 at the Montreal event, by Botic van de Zandschulp, in one of the biggest surprises of the tournament. He fared slightly better at the Cincinnati Open, but his tournament was still ended at the round of 32 stage by Brandon Nakashima. Speaking after his Cincinnati Open exit, he said: “In general, I can play a hundred times better than I played today. Did I play better than against Botic [Van de Zandschulp] and [Marco] Trungelliti? Probably yes. “Did I play better than what I’m capable of? Definitely not, not even close, but it’s just that kind of period right now,” he said. “The only thing to do is to try to get better every day. “If you take today, I was better than yesterday, better than the day before. If I can be a little better every day in some way, then maybe I can find my best level.” The star won just one match over the two tournaments, but he has already conjured up a plan to help his preparations ahead of the US Open. More ATP Tour news Jannik Sinner’s latest training schedule revealed and it’s a good sign for his US Open chances Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner rivals told ‘no one is going to be in the mix’ with the duo Medvedev has taken a wildcard into the Winston-Salem Open, the ATP 250 event which takes place directly before the US Open main draw kicks off. As a result of taking the wildcard, it means he has had to forgo his opportunity to play the US Open Mixed Doubles Challenge, alongside Diana Shnaider. It not only shows Medvedev’s priorities as a singles star, but it also shows the Russian is not at all financially motivated when it comes to playing on the ATP Tour. The US Open Mixed Doubles Challenge is an incredibly lucrative event, with the winners scooping a $1 million prize pot from the Grand Slam. The winner of Winston-Salem, meanwhile, will collected 250 ranking points, as well as $112,420. Medvedev should be applauded for trying to change his current run of form instead of chasing the money at the biggest and more high-profile events. Playing singles against some very good players in Winston-Salem, including Ignacio Buse, Arthur Fery, and Luciano Darderi, will also be far better preparation for the US Open. With more singles matches under his belt ahead of the US Open, Medvedev might event give himself an advantage over the players who have opted to play mixed doubles instead. The Winston-Salem Open finished just two days before the main draw to the US Open starts.