By Erik Gudris | @atntennis | Friday, July 7, 2023
Daniil Medvedev definitely embraces the love/hate relationship tennis fans have with him around the world.
So far at Wimbledon however, the No. 3 seed Medvedev has enjoyed a warm reception from the crowds after not being able to compete last year due to the tournament’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players due to Russia's invastion of Ukraine.
Medvedev is also enjoying a solid start at this year’s Wimbledon. He reached the third round after seeing off France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(5) in a match that resumed today after being suspended yesterday due to the local town curfew.
When a reporter afterwards said to Medvedev that he has a fabulous relationship with crowds, Medvedev replied with a smile, “Not everywhere. It’s entertaining for sure.”
The 27-year-old Russian has been known to delight and divide tennis fans in the last few years. Especially when a crowd turns against Medvedev, for whatever reason, he will turn against them, sometimes earning boos, and sometimes cheers.
Just recently, after Medvedev won the Rome Masters title, defeating Holger Rune in the final, the Russian told the Italian crowd afterwards, “Sometimes I make you angry. Sometimes you make me angry. Sometimes I make you happy. Sometimes you make me happy. I’m happy today. I hope you’re happy too.”
When asked after his match what tournament and crowd is his favorite, he cited the US Open. Which makes sense it’s where he won his first ever major title in 2021.
That love/hate affair actually started though after Medvedev won a contentious third round match against Feliciano Lopez in 2019. That happened when the Russian earned an unsportsmanlike like conduct code for snatching a towel away from a ball person. When Medvedev reacted by tossing his racquet to the court and arguing with the umpire, the rowdy New York crowd started booing him.
When Medvedev then famously gave a not so subtle finger to the crowd, they increased their booing. After he won the match, Medvedev sarcastically thanked the crowd for their lack of support.
“I would honestly say probably US Open will have to be the favorite just because of the way it started for sure with Feliciano Lopez match," Medvedev said. "I get booed honestly for a reason probably. Then getting booed the next match. I was getting against them, going against them.
"Then at one moment I was like, Okay, I shouldn't go against them. They're actually super energetic. Somehow with this crazy Rafa match, I managed to turn this around during the same tournament, which was amazing feeling.”
Medvedev there referred to the 2019 US Open final that he lost in five memorable sets to Rafael Nadal.
A few years later, Medvedev once again turned the lack of crowd support to his favor when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the 2021 US Open final, where Djokvoic was trying to complete the rare Calendar Grand Slam.
“When I played against Novak, I mean, all the stadium at the end was for him. He was going for a Grand Slam. But for whatever reason, sometimes when the crowd goes against you, it's not an easy feeling.
For whatever reason, this final, I felt like they were going for him and not against me. It's very tough to explain. US Open for sure the favorite just because of so many stories, and that's my only slam, Grand Slam victory.”
Medvedev knows that because of those matches, he has earned fans and detractors around the world. But he takes it all in stride.
“I mean, what else can I say? Yeah, as you say, different crowd all over the world. I always said that I try to just be myself. Because they are so different, probably you can find the way to adapt to them and try to make them all love you or hate you. Depends what you want.
"I'm not like this. I want to be myself. Even if with some crowds that's going to cause a bad relationship, well then be it. I don't like to fake and lie.”
Medvedev will next face Marton Fucsovics in the third round.
Photo Credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport