Another Serbian diamond: Hamad Medjedovic is ready for a 2024 breakthrough
Following his title in Jeddah, Hamad Medjedovic will practise with Novak Djokovic for three weeks in Dubai, in hopes of boosting his game and fitness before the next season
A Serbian Diamond in the Rough
During the peak of Serbia’s golden tennis generation with Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Janko Tipsarevic and others, there have been whispers – and louder voices quickly followed – about an extremely talented boy from Novi Pazar, cultural center of the Bosniaks in Serbia, a city with around 70 thousand inhabitants. His name was Hamad Medjedovic and he had just won the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah.
Local coach Edis Fetic quickly noticed that he had a diamond – although as yet unpolished – in his hands. He invited Bogdan Obradovic, who was the captain of Serbian Davis Cup team during the winning campaign in 2010, to witness nine-year-old Hamad first hand. Obradovic immediately liked what he saw and things moved on quickly from there.
Accompanied by his father Eldin, Hamad moved to Belgrade, spent eight years at Obradovic’s academy, gained attention from Novak Djokovic, who helped him both financially and as a mentor. Although the Novak Tennis Centre is closed, during his years there Hamad learned a lot, met many people significant for his growth, including his current coach Viktor Troicki, former world number 12.
Increased Focus the Cornerstone of New-Found Success
The 2023 season saw a lot of ‘firsts’ for Medjedovic – he won three challengers, made it through the qualifiers at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and reached two ATP semi-finals (Gstaad and Astana).
“I think my biggest improvement this year was my fitness. Transition from Futures to Challengers to ATP Tour requires you to be physically ready because the matches are exhausting, against quality opponents,” Medjedovic told Tennis Majors.
Aside from that, Hamad’s focus on the court is getting increasingly better, as he is able to keep his level high for longer periods of time.
Next Gen Finals Triumph a Significant Milestone for Medjedovic
In Saudi Arabia, Medjedovic won all five of his matches, four of those against better-ranked players – Alex Michelsen, Luka Van Assche, Dominic Stricker and world number 36 Arthur Fils in the finals.
“At the start of my professional career, I used to put too much pressure on myself ranking-wise. Being in the top 100 is no small feat, but my ultimate goal is not to be top 100 – my goals are way higher. I am not going to give a number I would like to reach next season, but I believe in my abilities. I just want to be healthy,” said Medjedovic.
Hamad’s game is big, that is clear to anybody who has watched him play, with serve and forehand being his most valuable assets. The one word, though, that both Medjedovic and Troicki come back to frequently is ‘consistency’.
Training with Djokovic in Dubai Next up for Medjedovic
After a few days of rest, the mission for next season starts in Dubai. Medjedovic was invited by Novak Djokovic to practice together, before they fly to Australia to represent Serbia together at the United Cup in Perth.
“I am sure that the time spent with Novak will mean a lot to Hamad,” continued Troicki.
Djokovic will play singles at the United Cup with Hamad being the backup, so the first tournament for Medjedovic is expected to be the Australian Open, where he is seeking to play in the main draw for the first time.
