Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev’s rivalry is one of the most intense in men’s tennis, known for their fiery clashes both on and off the court. However, ahead of their recent meeting at the Shanghai Masters, Tsitsipas’ tone towards the Russian star shifted to one of respect and reflection. The Greek player admitted that his past criticisms of Medvedev’s unconventional game style were misplaced.
In their early encounters, tensions between the two were high, particularly during their 2018 Miami Open match, where Medvedev accused Tsitsipas of calling him a “bull***t Russian.” The heated exchange led to Medvedev famously telling Tsitsipas to “shut your f**k up” after the match. Similar incidents followed, including a heated moment during their 2022 Australian Open semifinal, when Medvedev raged about Tsitsipas receiving illegal coaching from his father.
Despite their turbulent history, Tsitsipas has now openly admitted that he misjudged Medvedev’s unique style of play. “I might have said some mean stuff about his game, but after actually thinking about it, I think I was completely wrong,” Tsitsipas said. “There are a lot of interesting things in his game that he brings, which are very different from other players. That’s what makes him unique.”
Tsitsipas further acknowledged that their past on-court conflicts have been resolved. “We’ve had some heated things on-court in the past, but those things have resolved themselves over time. We’ve had time to speak about those things and come to a common understanding,” he added.
Their recent Shanghai Masters meeting saw Medvedev extend his winning record against Tsitsipas to 10-4, proving once again the formidable nature of their rivalry. However, Tsitsipas’ newfound respect for Medvedev signals a shift in their dynamic, one rooted more in appreciation than animosity.
Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2024
Now the world no.12, the Greek played his last match on the 9th of October when he was defeated by world no.5 Daniil Medvedev 7-6(3) 6-3 in the 4th round in Shanghai (draw).
This season Stefanos has achieved a composed 39-19 record. Stefanos clinched 1 title in Monte-Carlo. Tsitsipas was the finalist in Barcelona.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will compete against the world no.660 John Isner in the Round Robin on Sunday at 6:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their actual record is 6-2
for Tsitsipas.Stefanos conquered 1 title in 2024 in Monte-Carlo. Stefanos was the finalist in Barcelona (Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell).
Stefanos won 12 titles in his career: 1 on hard courts, 5 on clay courts, 5 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
He is also scheduled to play in Basel (Swiss Indoors Basel)
on the 21st of October and Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) on the 28th of October.Daniil Medvedev in 2024
At the moment ranked no.5, Daniil played his last match on the 10th of October when he capitulated to world no.1 Jannik Sinner 6-1 6-4 in the quarter in Shanghai (draw).
Presently, during this year the Russian achieved a compiled 45-18 match record. Daniil Medvedev’s most significant result of the present year was reaching the final at the Australian Open and Indian Wells.
Daniil Medvedev will come up against the world no.223 Diego Schwartzman in the Round Robin on Sunday at 4:00 pm on CENTER COURT. Their head to head is 6-0 for Medvedev.
Daniil 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)
He is also scheduled to play in Paris (Rolex Paris Masters) after Vienna. The main draw will start on the 21st of October.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev squared off 14 times. Their record is 10-4 for Medvedev. Before, the last time they competed against each other, Daniil Medvedev won 7-6(3) 6-3 in the 4th round in Shanghai (Shanghai Rolex Masters) on the 9th of October 2024.
In the following video you can watch the highlights.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev |
| Embed from Getty Images |