Daniil Medvedev admits to ‘feeling sorry’ for Andrey Rublev after defeats
Daniil Medvedev has admitted that he âfeels sorryâ for compatriot Andrey Rublev after beating him â but only after.
The Russians met in the round robin stage of the ATP Finals this week, with Medvedev coming away with a win that extends his head-to-head advantage over Rublev to 7-2.
It was a landmark win for Medvedev, with him becoming the male player too win 65 matches in 2023. It was also his 40th win over a top 10 player during his career.
Rublev and Medvedev are close friends though. So close, in fact, that Rublev is the godfather to Medvedevâs daughter.
He says he cannot take that relationship onto the court with him, although it can make things awkward for both afterwards.
âFor me on court, friends and enemies do not exist,â Medvedev said about when he plays Rublev.
âI just try to win the match. I donât think about anything else, but when the last point is finished, itâs like I feel sorry for him.
âIf he beats me, I mean, last year was brutal when he beat me in Turin. So I felt, I felt for one or two days he was shy to talk to me, taking care.
âItâs the same. You always try to look at him and see if tomorrow we can talk like normal. I am going to say to him good luck, go for it in the next matches, and he is probably going to say to him good luck in the next matches, and he is probably going to say the same.
âIn general I need one hour to cool off after a defeat. It depends on the match. Sometimes I need 30 minutes. I laugh about it.
âFor sure I will be disappointed, but I can talk to people, laugh about it. I think Andrey needs a little bit more time, but thatâs just the way he is.â
The day Daniil Medvedev worried he or Andrey Rublev âmay dieâ on court
Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev have played each other nine times with the former winning seven, including all three meetings in 2023.
The most recent one before Turin was at the US Open in September, and it may also be the most infamous of their matches due to very real dangers of heat stroke.
As the New York heat baked down onto the court, Medvedev towelled himself off between points before looking into the camera and saying: âYou cannot imagine. One player [is] gonna die, and theyâre gonna see.â
Daniil Medvedev on the conditions in his match against Andrey Rublev:
âOne player is gonna die. And theyâre gonna see.â pic.twitter.com/zQhXWmdGQU
â The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 6, 2023
At a later changeover, Medvedev required an inhaler while Rublev slowly cooked in his chair, unable to escape the heat.
âAt the end of the first set, I couldnât see the ball anymore,â Medvedev said afterwards. He later added that at one point he looked at Rublev before a point and though: âWow. It seems like he cannot run anymore.â
Thankfully for everyone, probably even Rublev, Medvedev only needed three sets to win.
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