Certainly, it is true that Daniil Medvedev is temperamental and produces very inconsistent results. And yes, he evokes a wide range of emotions depending on the situation and his audience. Entertainment, arereverie, anger, righteous indignation, and occasional annoyance are all part of the standard fan experience. He’s a walking highlight reel, but unlike other players for whom such antics seem orchestrated for dramatic effect, in Medvedev’s case they just happen.
Of course, there isn’t room in this post to detail every notable moment, but I’ll catalog a few of my favorites:
L2 + Dead fish left behind: There was his reaction to winning his first Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open over Novak Djokovic, who went for the calendar yes Grand Slam. Med won in straight sets and set up the iconic (?) Dead Fish celebration, surely the most stunted major title reaction of all time:
Alves wishes well: His 2017 loss to Ruben Bemelmans at Wimbledon, where he spent a controversial match arguing with Mariana Alves over line calls that went against him. He tried to have her removed to no avail. After the match, he took coins from his wallet and threw them on the foot of her chair.
The little cat: And my personal favorite, his… altercation (?) or monologue (?) with chair umpire Jaume Campistol at the 2022 Australian Open after taking exception to the alleged on-court coaching by Stefanos Tsitsipas’ father (still illegal at the time). “Are you stupid??? HIS FATHER CAN TALK ANY POINT???!” Medvedev raged for a while, won the match (despite Apostolos Tsitsipas’ talking fouls), and when the match was over, he opined, “It should be a code violation. If you don’t, you’re a…what do you call it…little cat.” Sniff. A little cat.
And now he has given us another gem today in Rotterdam: he is furious about the HEAD tennis balls used during the tournament and at one point determined that they are not round. He dropped a few f-bombs, karate-kicked the back wall and told the tournament official to hurry because he had a flight to catch.
Then the pièce de résistance: “These balls are made for people who like to please… People who like to please with just a little saliva. Just a little.”
I admit it. I had to watch this a few times to convince myself that I heard what I heard. I might have said out loud, “Did he just say SALIVA?” Yes. The answer is yes. He said saliva. He also lost to Ugo Humbert of France. I imagine the ATP wants to fine him, but like the little cat encounter, it’s hard to prove he meant anything offensive – the key word being ‘prove’, as I’m 100 percent sure he meant exactly what you think he meant.
Love him or hate him, you simply can’t deny that he’s entertaining, even when he’s losing. Maybe ESPECIALLY if he loses.
#Medvedev #sound #bite #Rotterdam