ZMS badge, increased attention and desire to become the best: how Medvedev gets used to the status of a tennis superstar

Russian men's tennis is on the rise stage, which is facilitated by the successful performance this season of Daniil Medvedev. In the second half of the year, he chalked up six finals in a row - including at the US Open - three of which ended in his victories. In the championship race of the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP), he takes the third place and has already beaten the Swiss Roger Federer in total prize money in 2019.

“I don’t know what I still need. Unless to win 21 Grand Slam tournaments to get around Federer according to this indicator, ”the athlete quotes the ATP official website.

If we discard the statistics, perhaps the success of the 23-year-old Russian is the reason for the growing interest in tennis in the country. His arrival in Moscow to participate in the Kremlin Cup was expected no less than the visit of Maria Sharapova to the Ladies Trophy in St. Petersburg, and the fans gave him an equally warm welcome.

Medvedev arrived in Moscow early Monday morning, just a few hours after the victorious finals at the Masters in Shanghai. However, the native of the capital had practically no time to breathe out after a hard week.

Filming, photo shoots, sponsorship events, communication with journalists, who for the first time in a long time had the opportunity to personally communicate with the fourth racket of the world, this is the everyday life of a new world star.

Almost everywhere he was accompanied by numerous fans, to whom Daniel did not refuse to communicate and sign autographs, despite his status. They were not only at the meeting of the tennis player with the Minister of Sports Pavel Kolobkov on the occasion of the presentation of the badge and certificate of the Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

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Publication by Medvedev Daniil (@ medwed33) Oct 16, 2019 at 7:24 am PDT

On the eve of the start of the Kremlin Cup, a Russian took part in the “Russian Tennis Evening”. At a ceremony dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the tournament, he, along with compatriots Karen Khachanov and Andrei Rublev, talked with the wife of the first president of Russia, Naina Yeltsin.

The highlight of Medvedev’s visit to Moscow was his performance on the courts of the Dynamo ice palace in Krylatskoye, because local fans hoped to see one of the best tennis players in the world in action. Last year, he reached the semifinals, losing to future winner Khachanov.

Medvedev himself has repeatedly told how important the Moscow tournament is and the support of home stands. It is worth noting the fact that for his participation he would not have received rating points, since in accordance with the ATP rules they are awarded for playing in 18 tournaments during one season. On the account of the Russian there are already more than 20.

The hopes of the fans did not come true. In anticipation of the second round, the athlete decided to withdraw from the competition.

And again, an analogy with Sharapova arose in the minds of many. However, it was only partially true: if the exacerbation of the former first racket of the world was caused by an aggravated injury, then Medvedev referred to fatigue and problems with adaptation after a sharp change in time zones, assuring that he had no damage.

He announced his decision at a specially organized press conference in which the president of the Russian Tennis Federation (FTR) Shamil Tarpishchev took part. Despite the fact that it was announced a couple of hours before the start, at the appointed time, the conference room was completely filled with media representatives. Many of them arrived in Krylatskoye solely for the sake of this event.

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Publication by Medvedev Daniil (@ medwed33) Oct 14, 2019 at 1:09 am PDT

The autograph session brightened the bitterness of the lack of an idol at the only Moscow international tournament. It took place immediately after the press conference. Everyone was given the opportunity to take pictures and chat with a Russian. Among those present there were many children who were happy to hand out souvenir balls and notebooks to the tennis player. Perhaps in a few years, one of them will find himself in this place.

Medvedev’s refusal to participate in the Kremlin Cup is fully justified. Ahead of him is the final ATP tournament in London, as well as a performance for the national team at the Davis Cup. The athlete himself tries not to talk about his plans, modestly noting that his main goal is to win in every match.

“The only way to become the first racket of the world. This year, this approach helped me win a lot of matches. If I continue in the same spirit next year, then I will have a chance to finish the season above all, ”he said.

At the same time, Medvedev admitted that he expects to win the medal of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, in which he has almost reserved his place thanks to a successful performance this season. And fans of one of the best tennis players on the planet can only wait for his next appearance on Russian courts.