Daniil Medvedev felt Novak Djokovic’s pain, recalls gruesome Wimbledon head injury in Rome

ROME, Italy—Daniil Medvedev was feeling sympathy pains after watching Novak Djokovic suffer an unexpected bump on the head from a falling water bottle, and revealed an injury of his own that helped make him a footnote on a bit of British history.

Fresh off a 100th ATP Masters 1000 win over Jack Draper at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Saturday, the former world No. 1 leaned forward in his chair to tell a wild story from when he played qualifying at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships. Then just 20 years old, he was scheduled to play wild card Marcus Willis, who was ranked No. 772 in the world, in the final round.

“The day before was a day off,” Medvedev explains, setting the scene. “In Aorangi Park, I don't think they have it now, but to come in, there is like a cage which you need to step up just a little bit. On the top there is also one thing. I didn't look carefully, and I hit it.

“Okay, you hit your head sometimes. Doesn't matter. Especially when you are tall,” he continued, smiling. “So usually when you hit your head, you straightaway put your arm there because you're painful. Look on my arm, full of blood. I say, ‘I have to go to hospital,’ stitches, et cetera.”

Medvedev was back on court the next day but lost to Willis in four sets. Willis went on to enjoy a headline-grabbing first week at the All England Club, reaching the second round and receiving a standing ovation after playing an entertaining match with Roger Federer on Centre Court.

“You always ask yourself after the match, ‘Did I lose yesterday because I hit my head or not?’” a wistful Medvedev recalls. “That's a story which no one knew about. It's not a bad story either, but a story that I remember, yeah.”

Long since stitched up, Medvedev has gone on to his own successes, including at the Foro Italico, where his title defense got off to a winning start against another Brit in Draper—despite the slow (and dirty) clay conditions.

“When someone asks me, ‘What's the thing you really hate about clay?’ for me it's dirty. I don't like. Locker rooms are dirty. When you come, you clap the shoes to get out the clay. It's dirty. Socks, you can throw away after clay season, for sure. In your car after practice, it's dirty. So I don't like it.

“It is what it is,” he said, playful rant concluded. “Now I enjoy it more and more.”

The No. 2 seed will next face Hamad Medjedovic for a spot in the round of 16.