“We have known each other for a long time and we are friends, but there are no friends on the court,” Daniil Medvedev once said about his relationship with Andrei Rublev. Sincere and lasting friendship is something truly rare in professional tennis. The best players are mostly selfish: it is important for everyone to focus on their game and not waste energy on personal relationships off the court. However, the professional circuit still knows exceptions to this rule. For example, the story of Medvedev and Rublev.
Related materials
“It makes you smile.” Sabalenka and Badosa are bitter rivals and happy friends.
friendship story
Daniil and Andrey have known each other since they were six years old. The boys played together as children, then in juniors and now they face each other at the top of world tennis. Medvedev is currently third in the ATP rankings, Rublev is fifth.
According to Daniil, when he was a junior, he was close with many of his teammates. However, over time, Andrei remained the only friend of his among everyone with whom he played in his youth. Since his youth, Medvedev and Rublev have not had many photos together. But there is a unique Photoshopped frame that Daniil posted on his social media and captioned: “Even when we were kids, we were very happy to play together.”
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev
Photo: from the personal archive of Daniil Medvedev.
Daniil and Andrey often joke with each other, spend time together at tournaments whenever possible, and always speak pleasantly about each other in public.
“Sometimes he behaves very unconventionally. Sometimes it seems to me that their coordination is zero. When he does something strange on the court, it seems like a lot of fun. At the same time, he is a great source of inspiration because he is a very educated and very intelligent guy. And watching his game you can learn a lot,” Rublev said of Medvedev after losing to him in the 500 meters final in Dubai.
“We are almost a family”
Andrei and Daniil have warm and friendly feelings for each other. They have been friends for a long time and regularly support each other on tour.
More recently, Rublev became godfather to Medvedev’s daughter Alisa. Andrey spoke warmly about his new status. How could it be otherwise when we talk about the Medvedev family?
“Now we are almost like a family because I am his daughter’s godfather. Of course, we built our relationship on tennis, but now it’s more than tennis. We’ve known each other since we were six years old. We have a great relationship. He is very honest, very calm. It is very easy to communicate with him. “He is very modest,” Andrey shared at a press conference during the 2023 US Open.
Related materials
Greetings for dad and play with his godfather. The adventures of Alisa Danilovna in Turin
During the US Open, Daniil also talked about how Rublev became part of his family.
“We are very close. I don’t like the phrase ‘best friend’ because I have many best friends, many friends. He is kind and we are very close friends. And he is religious, which is important for a godfather. So it was a pretty easy decision “.
Now Daniil and Andrey play together in the World Tennis League. After one of the matches, a journalist asked Rublev a question: “As far as I know, are you the godfather of Daniil’s daughter?” To which Andrei replied: “I am a real father. “Daniel is the godfather.” Medvedev did not like the joke, but his wife Daria could not contain her laughter at Andrei’s statement.
Andrei Rublev and Daniil Medvedev
Photo: Getty Images
Friends in life are rivals on the court.
The result of personal meetings between Medvedev and Rublev is 7-2. Last time the friends faced each other at the beginning of the final. Then Daniil won in a fairly simple match: 6:4, 6:2.
“In fact, I would say that playing against each other all the time is unpleasant. On the field I think it won’t matter to us, the main thing is victory and all that. What matters most here is what happens after the match, and it doesn’t matter if you lost or won. Even when you lost, you look at him (Rublev) and he doesn’t know what to do: talk to you or not talk. But still, everyone wants to win on the court,” Medvedev told the “Bolshe” YouTube channel.
Daniil and Andrey often play against each other. This year, for example, they faced each other three times, and each time in the decisive phases of major tournaments or in the final. At the same time, the boys continue to set an example of strong friendship and how good relationships can be maintained in a sport as competitive as tennis.
THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS