Medvedev clearly had problems during the match. After the first set was decided 6-4 in Czech Jiří Lehečka’s favour, the Russian had to throw in the towel.
The tennis star immediately went to Lehečka and thanked him for the match. Based on the pictures, it indicated that the 28-year-old from Moscow was struggling with his groin.
The crowd was not satisfied that they were only served 34 minutes of tennis in the Spanish capital, and Medvedev was greeted by a pipe concert from the stands.
Lehečka, on the other hand, responded by wishing his Russian opponent a speedy recovery. “Get well soon, Daniil!” wrote the Czech on the camera lens.
The Russian star is not the first to have to withdraw from the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid. On Wednesday, Jannik Sinner also had to give up after having hip problems.
The timing of the injury is also not favorable for the Russian world number four. At the end of May, it will be ready for Roland-Garros, but it is still uncertain what the injury will mean for Medvedev’s chances in the year’s second Grand Slam.
Czech Lehečka meets Felix Auger-Aliassime in the semi-finals. The other semi-final consists of Andrej Rublyov and Taylor Fritz.
