Daniil Medvedev, along with other Russian and Belarusian athletes, will compete as neutrals at the Paris Olympics due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. These athletes, having demonstrated no support for the war and no links to the military, are allowed to compete but cannot display their national flags or hear their anthems if they win medals. Medvedev, ranked world number five, remains focused on enjoying his Olympic journey.
“When I’m 40, if I can say I played in the Tokyo Olympics, Paris Olympics, and Los Angeles Olympics, I had a lot of fun in my life, my career, I’m going to be happy,” Medvedev remarked.
Known for his fiery temperament, Medvedev narrowly avoided disqualification in his Wimbledon semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz for a foul-mouthed rant at the chair umpire, referring to him as “a small cat.” His volatile nature has sparked feuds with players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev. In Miami 2018, Medvedev dismissed Tsitsipas as “a small kid who doesn’t know how to play” after a heated exchange. His rivalry with Zverev peaked at Monte Carlo last year, with Zverev accusing Medvedev of being “one of the most unfair players in the world.”
Despite his controversies, Medvedev has achieved significant success, including a US Open title in 2021, where he defeated Novak Djokovic, denying him a calendar Grand Slam. Medvedev’s unique celebration in New York, imitating the “dead fish” from a FIFA video game, highlighted his unorthodox personality.
Medvedev has also come close to adding more majors to his collection, notably losing to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final two years ago and in the US Open final in 2019. Outside of the Grand Slams, Medvedev is among an elite group of men who have won six or more Masters titles.
At the Paris Olympics, Medvedev believes his best chance of a medal lies in doubles rather than singles on the clay courts. “I’m going to prepare a lot for doubles and mixed doubles because I do believe I have more chances there than in Roland Garros singles,” he said.
Despite the restrictions and challenges, Medvedev remains a formidable force, determined to make his mark at the Paris Olympics.
Daniil Medvedev in 2024
Now ranked no.5, Daniil played his last match on the 12th of July when he capitulated to world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(1) 6-3 6-4 6-4 in the semifinal in Wimbledon (draw).
This season the Russian has achieved a compiled 33-10 match record. Daniil Medvedev’s most significant performance of the current year was reaching the final at the Australian Open and Indian Wells.
Daniil Medvedev will take on the world no.210 Diego Schwartzman in the Round Robin on Sunday at 4:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their actual head to head record is 6-0 for Medvedev.
The Russian was the finalist at the Australian Open and in Indian Wells (BNP Paribas Open).
Daniil won 21 titles in his career: 11 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 8 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Medvedev is scheduled to compete next in Montreal (National Bank Open). He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 5th of August.
Daniil Medvedev |
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