Hamad "Jedi" Medjedovic, a Force to be reckoned with

[Aabye5]

There's a new Med in town, and he is steadily making his way up the rankings under the tutelage Tricky Vik Troicki. He does not seem to waste any energy on court at all, smacking the ball with authority, and not bothering to rally from the baseline for too long. Excellent touch, he closes out points with dropshots that barely hop over the net.


He first came to my attention last year at the Challenger level. If you haven't seen him yet, check out his matches in Astana:

 

[AO13]

Been following him since his juniors days. Rarely did I watch him play then, but I was keeping track of his results and his progress on ATP list.

Watched him few times last year and this year too. What is immediately evident is that he was working on bulking his body in the recent months and it gave him results. He is mobile, runs good, but he's been serving better than ever, hitting 220 km/h bombs and his forehand is a real weapon, solid backhand, good touch, solid net skills. He now needs to lose few kilos and he is ready to play regularly in ATP events and Grand Slams. This week he has achieved career high ranking of 105, and he just started playing main events. On monday he will be on brink of entering top 100, as he is currently ranked on live ATP rankings as number 101.

One interested thing about Hamad is that as it stands now, he has 100% win percentage once he reaches the finals of events. He is 3-0 on ITF World Tennis Tour and 4-0 on ATP Challenger Tour, with this being his finals results:

Result	W-L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	3 April 2022	Antalya, Turkey	World Tennis Tour	Clay	Timo Stodder	6–0, 6–1
Win	2–0	10 April 2022	Antalya, Turkey	World Tennis Tour	Clay	Valentin Royer	6–3, 6–2
Win	3–0	8 May 2022	Ulcinj, Montenegro	World Tennis Tour	Clay	Àlex Martí Pujolràs	6–1, 6–2
Win	4–0	Jul 2022	Lüdenscheid, Germany	Challenger	Clay	Zhang Zhizhen	6–1, 6–2
Win	5–0	Mar 2023	Székesfehérvár, Hungary	Challenger	Clay	Nino Serdarušić	6–4, 6–3
Win	6–0	May 2023	Mauthausen, Austria	Challenger	Clay	Filip Misolic	6–2, 6–7 (5–7), 6–4
Win	7-0	Sep 2023	Mallorca, Spain	Challenger	Hard	Harold Mayot	6–2, 4–6, 6–2

Looking forward to watch him more against top guys on the biggest stage. I think he has the game and mindset for TOP 10.

 

[Aabye5]

Been following him since his juniors days. Rarely did I watch him play then, but I was keeping track of his results and his progress on ATP list.

Watched him few times last year and this year too. What is immediately evident is that he was working on bulking his body in the recent months and it gave him results. He is mobile, runs good, but he's been serving better than ever, hitting 220 km/h bombs and his forehand is a real weapon, solid backhand, good touch, solid net skills. He now needs to lose few kilos and he is ready to play regularly in ATP events and Grand Slams. This week he has achieved career high ranking of 105, and he just started playing main events. On monday he will be on brink of entering top 100, as he is currently ranked on live ATP rankings as number 101.

One interested thing about Hamad is that as it stands now, he has 100% win percentage once he reaches the finals of events. He is 3-0 on ITF World Tennis Tour and 4-0 on ATP Challenger Tour, with this being his finals results:

Result	W-L	Date	Tournament	Tier	Surface	Opponents	Score
Win	1–0	3 April 2022	Antalya, Turkey	World Tennis Tour	Clay	Timo Stodder	6–0, 6–1
Win	2–0	10 April 2022	Antalya, Turkey	World Tennis Tour	Clay	Valentin Royer	6–3, 6–2
Win	3–0	8 May 2022	Ulcinj, Montenegro	World Tennis Tour	Clay	Àlex Martí Pujolràs	6–1, 6–2
Win	4–0	Jul 2022	Lüdenscheid, Germany	Challenger	Clay	Zhang Zhizhen	6–1, 6–2
Win	5–0	Mar 2023	Székesfehérvár, Hungary	Challenger	Clay	Nino Serdarušić	6–4, 6–3
Win	6–0	May 2023	Mauthausen, Austria	Challenger	Clay	Filip Misolic	6–2, 6–7 (5–7), 6–4
Win	7-0	Sep 2023	Mallorca, Spain	Challenger	Hard	Harold Mayot	6–2, 4–6, 6–2

Looking forward to watch him more against top guys on the biggest stage. I think he has the game and mindset for TOP 10.

Yes, the Young Jedi has to take care not to injury his knees since it is more upper body weight.

 

[Aabye5]

The Jedi qualifies for Jeddah.

 

[AO13]

He's in a bad form. Not expecting much from him in Next Gen finals.

 

[chrischris]

Yes, the Young Jedi has to take care not to injury his knees since it is more upper body weight.

You think he has some imbalance?

 

[Jonesy]

Take a sit, young Jedi.

 

[chrischris]

He's in a bad form. Not expecting much from him in Next Gen finals.

Perhaps he could lose a few pounds.. A bit heavy?..

 

[AO13]

Perhaps he could lose a few pounds.. A bit heavy?..

Yes, he certainly seems like he has a few kilos more than he should have, even though he is moving comfortably with it. But I think he willingly added those few kilos to get more power and he succeeded in it, his serve and forehand is pretty fast and strong. He also has a good touch.

 

[sportsfan1]

Medjedovic beat arthur fils for the next gen title, and the tc desk comms spoke highly of him. Strong guy with big serve and flat shots. Is not like karatsev?

 

[socallefty]

140+ serves and a very clean ballstriker by all accounts. I am looking forward to seeing him in person if he makes it to Indian Wells next year. The first time you get to see someone touted as a future star is always a memorable moment,

 

[Rovesciarete]

We have very little data. He dominated with a huger serve and big forehands combined with good movement. Quite similar to Arthur Fils, to be honest. Less of an athlete, more of a ball striker. A dangerous player on a fast hardcourt.

 

[Musterrific]

If he works on his fitness he could be a very dangerous player. He's sporting some man boobs.

 

[robyrolfo]

If he works on his fitness he could be a very dangerous player. He's sporting some man boobs.

Wow, some of you guys are pretty rough. You are gonna give some of us eating disorders.

 

[Shaolin]

This guy will be incredible once he gets in better shape. Im sure Novak will help him out with that.

 

[robyrolfo]

This guy will be incredible once he gets in better shape. Im sure Novak will help him out with that.

Oh, is Novak going to give him a watch battery to tape to his chest? Or will it be another of his "mysterious" performance enhancements?

 

[Musterrific]

Wow, some of you guys are pretty rough. You are gonna give some of us eating disorders.

Well, we're talking about pro athletes here, not hacker nobodies like us here on the forums.

 

[Shaolin]

Oh, is Novak going to give him a watch battery to tape to his chest? Or will it be another of his "mysterious" performance enhancements?

I'd say he's doing a few things right despite some weird stuff. Best player in the world at 36 and greatest player ever.

 

[robyrolfo]

Well, we're talking about pro athletes here, not hacker nobodies like us here on the forums.

Yes, but tennis is a bit of a strange sport. Some of these young guys may have made it this far based on specials skills, guile, or one overly dominant aspect of their game, so they could get away with not having every facet of their game ready for the highest level of the tour. They also train alone, so to speak, and their coaches don't the disciplinary power over them that you see in other sports. They aren't going to lose their "starting position" because they aren't working hard enough in practice, or aren't following certain guidelines. I also think a lot of these tennis players could benefit from a little cross-training in other sports, but that's another can of worms.

I'd say he's doing a few things right despite some weird stuff. Best player in the world at 36 and greatest player ever.

Right, yes, just like Lance was doing some "weird" stuff, right? And the rest isn't even worth commenting on here...

 

[chuckersthenut]

Kid looks good to me. He will be dangerous on fast courts for sure with that serve and forehand. Too bad every other surface is slower than grandma on a Sunday.

 

[sportsfan1]

This guy will be incredible once he gets in better shape. Im sure Novak will help him out with that.

Novaks funding his tennis. What happens if medjedovic finds himself in a winning position, say up 2 sets and a break over novak next year at the aus open?

 

[Fabresque]

Oh, is Novak going to give him a watch battery to tape to his chest? Or will it be another of his "mysterious" performance enhancements?

All you do is cry about Novak on here. Do you have a life fella?

You can leave the basement of your parents house every once in a while.

 

[robyrolfo]

All you do is cry about Novak on here. Do you have a life fella?

You can leave the basement of your parents house every once in a while.

You came back a week later to write this?

All you do is kiss Novak's rear end around here. Do you have a life, fella? (There's a free grammar lesson for you).

You can leave the basement of your parent's (another one) house every once in a while, and stop pretending you are some hero for defending Novak. You think you are some sort of winner because you decided to root for a guy that's good at tennis?

 

[Aabye5]

Yes, but tennis is a bit of a strange sport. Some of these young guys may have made it this far based on specials skills, guile, or one overly dominant aspect of their game, so they could get away with not having every facet of their game ready for the highest level of the tour. They also train alone, so to speak, and their coaches don't the disciplinary power over them that you see in other sports. They aren't going to lose their "starting position" because they aren't working hard enough in practice, or aren't following certain guidelines. I also think a lot of these tennis players could benefit from a little cross-training in other sports, but that's another can of worms.

What do you mean by this bolded part? Players certainly can lose their starting position...

 

[robyrolfo]

What do you mean by this bolded part? Players certainly can lose their starting position...

I'm talking about tennis players. Athletes in other sports can lose a starting spot if they don't work hard, but a tennis player could completely ignore his coach and slack off, and he/she is still going to get into tournaments based on their ranking. The coach can't replace them with someone else.

 

[Aabye5]

I'm talking about tennis players. Athletes in other sports can lose a starting spot if they don't work hard, but a tennis player could completely ignore his coach and slack off, and he/she is still going to get into tournaments based on their ranking. The coach can replace them with someone else.

In one respect, I agree that a player can "slack off", but in another I disagree that talent is destiny. I think we both agree that tennis is a self-driven sport. If a player is supremely gifted, their gifts alone can get them pretty far. That said, there's a reason why most coaches (except for the top coaches) are often at the mercy of their player's temperament and not the other way around. In most team sports, no one is really above the coach.

 

[Fabresque]

You came back a week later to write this?

All you do is kiss Novak's rear end around here. Do you have a life, fella? (There's a free grammar lesson for you).

You can leave the basement of your parent's (another one) house every once in a while, and stop pretending you are some hero for defending Novak. You think you are some sort of winner because you decided to root for a guy that's good at tennis?

Well, I'm not the one accusing people I don't like of doping and shooting up drugs... so there's that.

I'm not a hero. I just enjoy putting people like you in their place. I seem to get reactions out of it quite often

 

[Aabye5]

Pure joy from the young Jedi (his REAL nickname is Hamad, but that's boring) holding his first trophy aloft.

Didn't even make the cut for the promo materials.

Video:

Medjedovic Champion's Story Next Gen ATP Finals | Video Search Results | ATP Tour | Tennis

www.atptour.com

 

[robyrolfo]

In one respect, I agree that a player can "slack off", but in another I disagree that talent is destiny. I think we both agree that tennis is a self-driven sport. If a player is supremely gifted, their gifts alone can get them pretty far. That said, there's a reason why most coaches (except for the top coaches) are often at the mercy of their player's temperament and not the other way around. In most team sports, no one is really above the coach.

Ok, so we are on the same wavelength here. A ton of talent might get a relatively lazy player through juniors at the top of the game, but once on the full tour the limitations will become clear. And yes, tennis is different from other sports in that the player usually holds the power over the coach, and not vice-versa.

Well, I'm not the one accusing people I don't like of doping and shooting up drugs... so there's that.

I'm not a hero. I just enjoy putting people like you in their place. I seem to get reactions out of it quite often

I didn't accuse anyone of "shooting up," but cool story. As for the rest, there are plenty of others that share my suspicions. Novak has a lot of similar traits to Lance Armstrong. Just saying. And Lance recently made some interesting statements about doping.

But yeah, if you think you put me in my place, you are even more lost and confused than I imagined. And I'm not even sure what you mean by "reactions," but it's anyone's guess what goes on inside your head...

Pure joy from the young Jedi (his REAL nickname is Hamad, but that's boring) holding his first trophy aloft.

Didn't even make the cut for the promo materials.

Apparently he got there a little later than the other players, and that is why he also didn't participate in that physical fitness challenge (as discussed in the Arthur Fils thread).

 

[Aabye5]

Ok, so we are on the same wavelength here. A ton of talent might get a relatively lazy player through juniors at the top of the game, but once on the full tour the limitations will become clear. And yes, tennis is different from other sports in that the player usually holds the power over the coach, and not vice-versa.

Yes, exactly. Although talent and lazy are relative, i.e., on the talent scale a player like Safin or Monfils both rank very highly. Safin had more success in mustering his talent into Slam glory, and Monfils has a history of being rather lackadaisical in his approach to training. Neither are a Hewitt, though.

....
Apparently he got there a little later than the other players, and that is why he also didn't participate in that physical fitness challenge (as discussed in the Arthur Fils thread).

Interesting

 

[Fabresque]

didn't accuse anyone of "shooting up," but cool story. As for the rest, there are plenty of others that share my suspicions. Novak has a lot of similar traits to Lance Armstrong. Just saying. And Lance recently made some interesting statements about doping.

But yeah, if you think you put me in my place, you are even more lost and confused than I imagined. And I'm not even sure what you mean by "reactions," but it's anyone's guess what goes on inside your head...

“I didn’t accuse anyone of shooting up drugs”

*One sentence later*

“I’m suspicious and believe Novak is shooting up drugs”

IQ of a fish on this website.

 

[robyrolfo]

Yes, exactly. Although talent and lazy are relative, i.e., on the talent scale a player like Safin or Monfils both rank very highly. Safin had more success in mustering his talent into Slam glory, and Monfils has a history of being rather lackadaisical in his approach to training. Neither are a Hewitt, though.

Yes, both of those terms are definitely relative. And lazy might not even be the correct term. It's not just about working hard, it's also about making mental and physical sacrifices.

“I didn’t accuse anyone of shooting up drugs”

*One sentence later*

“I’m suspicious and believe Novak is shooting up drugs”

IQ of a fish on this website.

Wow, are you really going to continue with the petty insults? I'm not sure what your native tongue might be, but amongst native English speakers "shooting up" implies someone is doing rather strong recreational drugs. So consider this a free lesson that I just gave to you...

 

[Aabye5]

Yes, both of those terms are definitely relative. And lazy might not even be the correct term. It's not just about working hard, it's also about making mental and physical sacrifices.

Certainly, sacrifices are relative, but I do think it's about making mental and physical improvements throughout your career. If your game on a mental level or physical level (technique-wise or stamina-wise) hasn't improved from one year to the next, your results likely will not improve either.

 

[Fabresque]

Wow, are you really going to continue with the petty insults? I'm not sure what your native tongue might be, but amongst native English speakers "shooting up" implies someone is doing rather strong recreational drugs. So consider this a free lesson that I just gave to you...

Ignoring this absolute waste of a post, you accusing professional tennis players of drugs is pretty hilarious to me.

Why is Novak the one being singled out, exactly? Why not Federer or Nadal? I have a sneaking suspicion you are making a petty and disgusting accusation just because you have a dislike for him. And if that's the case, that's pretty sad.

 

[AO13]

FFS it's a thread about some player and you guys still find way to enter the Big 3 wars.

 

[AO13]

So dissapointed the Australian Open didn't give him a wildcard. I thought he will get it for sure since he won the Next Gen tournament, but nah, as always they gave the cards to some Aussies and French (the agreement between AO and RG, they give each other countrymen I think 4 wildcards). Medjedovic is starting from qualies and I think he won't enter the main draw.​

 

[AO13]

Pure joy from the young Jedi (his REAL nickname is Hamad, but that's boring) holding his first trophy aloft.

His name is Hamad, his nickname is Hame.

 

[robyrolfo]

Ignoring this absolute waste of a post, you accusing professional tennis players of drugs is pretty hilarious to me.

Why is Novak the one being singled out, exactly? Why not Federer or Nadal? I have a sneaking suspicion you are making a petty and disgusting accusation just because you have a dislike for him. And if that's the case, that's pretty sad.

What's hilarious about professional athletes doping? Are you completely oblivious to what goes on in the world? And we are talking about Novak here, but I'm sure there are others as well. Serena Williams is pretty much a lock (besides her TUE's)

So dissapointed the Australian Open didn't give him a wildcard. I thought he will get it for sure since he won the Next Gen tournament, but nah, as always they gave the cards to some Aussies and French (the agreement between AO and RG, they give each other countrymen I think 4 wildcards). Medjedovic is starting from qualies and I think he won't enter the main draw.​

Yeah, I agree with this 100%. Next Gen finals winner should get a wildcard into the Aussie Open.

 

[Move]

The Young Prince just obliterated Cecchinato, King Nole will be pleased to hear / see that (he had doubts about his career after losing to him in RG )

 

[Move]

Shelbayh gets his revenge for the loss in the Next Gen Finals to the Young Prince. Looks like a partidazo match, great handshakes and hughs at the net. Match time 2h43m (!)

 

[AO13]

Yeah, as expected, Hamad was not able to get through qualifications to enter the main draw of the first Grand Slam of the year.

Again, shame on Australian Open for not giving the wild card to Hamad as the Next Gen tournament champion.​

 

[Move]

Yeah, as expected, Hamad was not able to get through qualifications to enter the main draw of the first Grand Slam of the year.

Again, shame on Australian Open for not giving the wild card to Hamad as the Next Gen tournament champion.​

I read some comment on X he got injured beginning 3rd set.... His physique sure needs attention coming years. He is for sure not as lean and elastical as Novak ... but then, who is

 

[Musterrific]

I read some comment on X he got injured beginning 3rd set.... His physique sure needs attention coming years. He is for sure not as lean and elastical as Novak ... but then, who is

As I've said before, if the guy wants to become a force on tour and maximize his potential, he's gotta lose the excess flab and bitchtits.

 

[Move]

Anyone has news on Hamad? I though he'd got a WC for Rotterdam but do not see him on the entry list. Still injured?

 

[AO13]

Finally something positive in Hamad's career after great success in Next Gen finals. In qualifiers for ATP Madrid 1000, he beat Hugo Gaston in 1st round after trailing the first set 4:6, 6:3, 6:1 and Francisco Comesana in 2nd round 6:4, 6:1.

Today, in the 1st round of his first ever Masters 1000, he beat Aleksandar Kovacevic again after comeback 4:6, 7:5 and 6:4. All three players are top 100 so this is a good run for Medjedovic after awful first 4 months of the year, whatever he does in 2nd round against Lehecka.​

 

[AO13]

I have to be honest, maybe it is a little bit an overstatement, but I really did expect Medjedovic to win in today's clash of bears ("Medved" - bear on both Russian and Serbian, "Međed" - bear also on Serbian and Montenegrin). Guy is a real talent and I'll enjoy his matches in upcoming years, powerhouse of a player, strong strokes, excellent touch, strong serve. The kid has top 10, I'd say top 5 potential.

Heck, I think the kid might be world number 1 one day and/or win a Grand Slam title.

Here's the highlights of today's match:

Looking forward to Roland Garros qualies, I hope he gets easier path, since they won't get him the wildcards as a Next Gen Finals winner. He'd be in top 100 today for sure if he didn't skip the first 4 months of the year because of an injury.​

 

[Move]

He could have won if his game plan and shot selection were more steady, too much fluctuations in his service games. But there is massive potential indeed : Power, service, return of service, touch and court position awereness ... its all there. Game plan was in order with much tempo variations but he overdid the dropshotting (e.g. on SP 1st set).
Mental side is in order but needs delevelopment too (he got broken after some yelling during from the crowd during a rally, DF-ed afterward and lost the game)
Physical, Stamina and Footwork also not on ATP tour levels ..... yet

 

[Musterrific]

Still too fat.

 

[travlerajm]

Still too fat.

Jim Courier repeatedly calling him out for it on the broadcast.

 

[PSNELKE]

Super unlikeable dude just like his more famous countryman