Daniil Medvedev has built quite the career for himself. He’s won a Grand Slam and climbed all the way to the top of men’s tennis.
But here’s the thing – he’s not just known for being incredibly good at tennis.
Medvedev’s famous for his fiery outbursts on court and some pretty heated rivalries with other players. That’s what makes him one of the most interesting guys on the ATP tour right now.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniil Medvedev | 29 | 6,485 | 27 - 8 |
Born February 11th, 1996, in Moscow, this 6-foot-6 Russian now calls Monte Carlo home. At around 183 pounds, he’s got the perfect build for his aggressive style of play.
How It All Started
Medvedev picked up a racket seriously when he was just 9 years old.
Funny story – his parents actually wanted him to take up swimming. But when young Daniil saw an announcement for tennis lessons at the pool, everything changed. His first coach was Ekaterina Kryuchkova, who’d previously worked with Vera Zvonareva.
Sometimes the best plans are the ones that get completely derailed.
Family Life
Medvedev’s got two sisters, Yelena and Yulia. He’s always credited them as huge influences in his life and major reasons why he’s been able to compete at the highest level.
He’s been married to Daria Chernyshkova since September 2018. They’ve actually been together since 2014, so they’ve been through this whole tennis journey together.
Medvedev himself has said that getting married really helped him climb up the rankings. Having that stability and support at home makes a huge difference when you’re traveling the world and dealing with the pressure of professional tennis.
The couple now has two daughters – Alisa, born in October 2022, and Vika, who just arrived in January 2025.
The US Open Glory
2021 US Open. That’s when everything came together for Medvedev.
His run to that title was absolutely incredible to watch. He steamrolled through Richard Gasquet, Dominik Koepfer, Pablo Andujar, Dan Evans, Botic van de Zandschulp, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and finally Novak Djokovic in the final.
He only dropped one set during the entire tournament. Not a single tiebreak.
And here’s the kicker – by beating Djokovic, he denied the Serbian legend a Calendar Grand Slam. That’s when you win all four majors in the same year, something that’s incredibly rare in tennis.
So Close, So Many Times
Medvedev’s reached six Grand Slam finals, all on hard courts.
He’s been the runner-up at the US Open twice (2019 and 2023) and at the Australian Open three times (2021, 2022, and 2024).
What’s really tough about those Australian Open losses in 2022 and 2024? He won the first two sets against Rafael Nadal and Jannik Sinner respectively, then lost both matches.
That’s got to sting.
Reaching the Summit
February 28th, 2022 – that’s when Medvedev became world No. 1.
He knocked Djokovic off the top spot, though he lost it three weeks later. But he got it back again on June 13th and held onto it until Carlos Alcaraz passed him on September 12th, 2022.
He hasn’t been back to No. 1 since.
The Trophy Cabinet
Medvedev’s won 20 ATP titles so far. Most of them – 18 – have come on hard courts, with one on grass and one on clay.
His biggest win outside of Grand Slams? The 2020 ATP Finals.
Here’s something pretty ironic – his most recent title was the 2023 Italian Open on clay. Why’s that funny? Because Medvedev has made it very clear many times that he really doesn’t like playing on clay courts.
His Tennis Style
Ask Medvedev about his favorite shot and he’ll tell you it’s his return. He’s famous for standing way back when opponents serve, sometimes looking like he’s in the next time zone.
But here’s what makes him tricky – he can adapt that strategy on the fly. Some players have tried to exploit his deep return position by serving and volleying, but only the best net players like Carlos Alcaraz and Nick Kyrgios have really made it work.
Hard courts are definitely his favorite surface. That’s where he’s had the vast majority of his success, which makes sense given his playing style.
The Tsitsipas Drama
The tension between Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas started at their very first meeting – the 2018 Miami Open. Medvedev won that match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, but he was absolutely furious.
The Russian was mad about Tsitsipas calling him "a bullshit Russian." Medvedev fired back by mocking him as a "small kid who doesn’t know how to fight."
That anger came roaring back during their 2022 Australian Open semifinal. Medvedev noticed Tsitsipas and his father communicating between points, which isn’t allowed. The umpire wasn’t stopping them, and Medvedev lost it.
He kept screaming "His father can talk every point!" at the official.
These days, their relationship has improved quite a bit. They’re not exactly friends, but there’s mutual respect there now.
The Zverev Situation
While things got better with Tsitsipas, Medvedev’s dislike of Alexander Zverev seems to run much deeper.
It all stems from some pretty serious allegations. Olga Sharypova – who happens to be a close friend of Medvedev’s wife – accused Zverev of domestic violence during their relationship.
After those accusations became public, Zverev mentioned Medvedev’s wife during a trophy ceremony in 2021, seemingly trying to suggest they were close. Medvedev quickly clarified that they’re definitely not friends.
Things got worse at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters. After Medvedev beat him, Zverev accused the Russian of being "the most unfair player." Medvedev’s response was pretty cutting – he told Zverev to look in the mirror before making comments like that.
The drama continued on the Netflix series "Break Point." When Medvedev lost to Holger Rune in Monte-Carlo, cameras caught Zverev saying "karma."
Fast forward to their 2024 Australian Open semifinal. Medvedev came back from two sets down to win, and you could see him shouting "karma" toward his coach afterward.
The Wimbledon Ban
2022 was a frustrating year for Medvedev for reasons that had nothing to do with tennis.
Wimbledon’s organizers made the controversial decision to ban all Russian and Belarusian players from competing because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The ban was lifted the following year, but it cost Medvedev a chance to compete at one of the sport’s biggest tournaments.
Beyond Tennis
Medvedev speaks three languages fluently – Russian, English, and French.
When he’s not on court, he’s a pretty big gamer. Remember his "dead fish" celebration after winning the 2021 US Open? That’s straight from FIFA video games. He also enjoys reading, playing chess, and watching his favorite football team, Bayern Munich.
He’s also involved in charitable work. In June 2024, he was among several players who auctioned off items to help Brazil after devastating floods killed almost 200 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more.
At 28, Medvedev’s still got plenty of tennis left in him. With his combination of skill, personality, and competitive fire, he’ll definitely keep things interesting on the ATP tour for years to come.
