Daniil Medvedev addresses breach of unwritten tennis rule at the French Open

Daniil Medvedev has shared his thoughts on the challenges of playing in front of the French Open crowds, who often break an unwritten rule regarding noise during points.

This issue was highlighted after Iga Swiatek urged the crowd to remain quiet between points following her comeback victory against Naomi Osaka in a thrilling second-round match.

Medvedev acknowledged the difficulty players face when arriving at Roland Garros and realizing that the fans may not adhere to the usual silence expected during critical moments of play.

"I saw Iga's match. I didn't watch her interview. It was a great match and a great comeback, but I didn't see the interview," Medvedev said. He then elaborated on his views regarding the crowd's behavior.

"I think it's very tough, because there are two ways. So right now, in a way, there are, like, the kind of, I would say, unofficial rule - or actually an official rule, don't interrupt players before second serve and when they're ready to serve and during the point," he explained.

Medvedev supports this rule, recognizing the impact of noise on the game's technical aspects. "Personally, I like it. Because I think, I don't know if there are other sports than tennis and golf that have it, but because it's so technical and, like, I would say every millimeter of a movement you change, the ball is going to go a different side."

He pointed out that even a small distraction could lead to significant errors. "So, you know, if someone screams in your ear during your serve, you could double fault. That's as easy as that. That's not good. On the other side, if there would be no this rule and it would be allowed all the time, I think we would get used to it."

However, Medvedev noted that this is not the case at Roland Garros, where the deviation from the norm unsettles players.

"Now what happens is that 95 percent of matches, tournaments, it's quiet. And then when suddenly you come to Roland Garros and it's not, it disturbs you, and it's a Grand Slam, so you get more stress and it's not easy," he said.

Medvedev emphasized his preference for a quiet atmosphere during points. "If you ask me, I like it quiet. I like it quiet. Again, even when the crowd goes crazy, the other player's ready to serve, quiet and let's serve, let's play. There is no in between. It either should be quiet or super loud but all the time, and then we would get used to it, I would get used to it also, and we would not actually complain about it. Yeah, for the moment it's quiet."

He also mentioned the added difficulty of facing a French player in their home country. "I think playing French in Roland Garros is not easy. That's for sure. I think a lot of players experience it," he smiled.

Comparing it to other Grand Slams, he noted that the atmosphere at the US Open and Wimbledon is different, though Australia can also be challenging. "I played Thanasi once there on the small court. It was, whew, brutal."

Despite these challenges, Medvedev appreciates the crowd's energy as long as it doesn’t interfere with the actual play.

"It's good to have energy between points, but then when you're ready to serve, it's okay, let's finish it and let's play tennis. Same before first and second serve. And then when there is a changeover, when there is between points, go unleash yourself fully, it's okay."